DIEFFENBAUCH & HRITZ, LLC. PETITION FOR EXEMPTION 2 015 

14 CFR part 21 

Appendix J 

senseFiy eBee RTK Extended User Manual 
-------- senseFiy 

Extended User Manual 

eBee RTK 

Revision 6 I June 2015 

Copyright© 2010-2015 senseFly Ltd 

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senseFiy 

a Parrot company 
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GENERAL INFORMATION 

READ THIS USER MANUAL CAREFULLY BEFORE USING A SENSEFLY LTD PRODUCT. 

sense Fly Ltd products are intended for professional use only. 

Applicable Regulations 

senseFiy Ltd products are subject to Civil Aviation regulations. Regulations may vary depending on the country 

where you intend to operate your product. 

ANY USE OF SENSEFLY LTD PRODUCTS IN BREACH OF THE LAW OF THE COUNTRY WHERE YOU OPERATE THE PRODUCT 

IS UNDER YOUR SOLE RESPONSIBILITY. 

INFORM YOURSELF BEFORE USING THE PRODUCT. SOME COUNTRIES MAY HAVE LAWS THAT LIMIT THE USE OF UNMANNED AIRCRAFT TO 'LINE-OF-SIGHT' OPERATIONS AND/OR PROHIBITTHE USE OF UNMANNED AIRCRAFT AT ALL 

OR IN SPECIFIC AREAS. 

Privacy 

Recording and circulating an image of an individual may constitute an infringement of their image and privacy for 

which you can be liable. Ask for authorization before taking pictures of an individual, particularly if you want to keep 

your recordings and/or circulate images on the Web or any other medium. Do not circulate degrading images or 

ones that could undermine the reputation or dignity of an individual. Check that your use of the cameras on board 

sense Fly Ltd products comply with the legal provision on privacy in the country where you operate your product. 

Limited Warranty 

Sense Fly Ltd warrants that the product will be free from defects in material and workmanship for a period of twelve 

(12) months from the date of delivery. SenseFiy Ltd further warrants that the product will perform substantially in 

accordance with its specification. During the warranty period senseFiy Ltd's sole liability shall be at senseFiy Ltd's 

sole option, either to repair or to replace the defective product with another product or a product with similar specifications, at no charge, orto reimburse the purchase price of the product, or if repair or replacement is not possible, 

issue a credit note; provided however, that the defect has been confirmed by senseFiy Ltd and that the defective 

product is returned to sense Fly Ltd in accordance with the support and repair form together with all required flight 

logfiles. 

Warranty does not apply, without limitation, in case: a) the products are not stored and used according to their 

specifications, b) the products are damaged due to carelessness, negligence, or wrong use by the user, and c) for 

defects due to normal wear and tear including, but not limited to, deterioration to the airframe after first flight, 

normal degradation, misuse, moisture or liquids, proximity or exposure to heat, accidents, excessive strain, abuse, 

neglect, misapplication, repairs or modifications made by third party other than sense Fly Ltd, damage due to manual 

operation, damage due to take-off or landing location with obstacles, damage due to low altitude flight, damage due 

to loss of data radio connection, damage due to strong wind, rain or humidity, or other causes for which senseFiy Ltd 

has no control. 
THE FOREGOING WARRANTIES ARE IN LIEU OF ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND OF 

ANY OTHER OBLIGATION ON THE PART OF SENSEFLY LTD. 

Limitation of liability 

TO THE EXTENT PERMITIED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL SENSEFLY LTD BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS OF REVENUE, LOSS OF PROFIT, LOSS OF DATA, OR INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF 

SENSEFLY LTD HAS BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, AND WHETHER THIS LIABILITY ARISES 

FROM A CLAIM BASED ON CONTRACT, WARRANTY, TORT OR OTHERWISE, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF GROSS NEGLIGENCE AND DEATH. 

YOU SHALL AT ALL TIMES OPERATE THE PRODUCT IN AREAS OR UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES SO AS TO GUARANTY SECURITY AND SAFETY OF PEOPLE, PROPERTY AND ANIMALS. 

Disposal of this product at the end of its life 

'0" At the end of this product's life, please do not dispose of this product in your general household waste. A Instead, in order to prevent possible harm to the environment or human health from uncontrolled waste 

disposal, please dispose of this product separately in accordance with your local laws and regulation. For 

- more information on the separate collection systems for waste electrical and electronic equipment that 

are available for consumers, near your home, free of charge, please contact your local municipal authority. 

You can also contact senseFiy Ltd or the reseller from which you purchased your drone who may provide recycling 

services or be part of a recycling scheme. 

Copyrights 

senseFiy Ltd reserves the right to make changes to specifications and product descriptions contained in this document at any time without notice. Please consult www.sensefly.com for the latest release. 

Copyright© 2015 sense Fly Ltd. All rights reserved. REPRODUCTION, USE OR DISCLOSURE OF ALL OR IN PART OF THIS 

MANUAL TO THIRD PARTIES WITHOUT THE PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OF SENSEFLY LTD IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. 
) 

Address 

senseFiy Ltd 

Route de Geneve 38 

1033 Cheseaux-Lausanne 

Switzerland 

Website: http:/ /www.sensefly.com 

Technical support 

If you have questions about any of your sense Fly products, please visit my.senseFiy* where you'll find: 

• Our Knowledge Base. 

• A form for contacting support. 

* my.sensefly.com 
) 

Welcome to your eBee RTK 

Congratulations on your purchase of the eBee RTK, a complex and powerful yet 

intuitive autonomous mapping system. We take great care to develop and design 

the best possible hardware and software tools for quick, high-quality and easy-touse 2D and 3D aerial mapping. 

The eBee RTK is a fully autonomous survey-grade mapping drone (UAV, RPAS or 

UAS). It is capable of in-flight processing of RTK corrections from most leading 

brands of GNSS/RTK base stations via its supplied eMotion flight control software 

and ground modem. The built-in high-performance GNSS receiver in the eBee RTK 

can process GPS and GLONASS L 1 and L2 signals. The RTK coordinate correction 

data it receives via its ground modem enables precise navigation and the storage of image metadata with RTK-Ievel positional accuracy, without the need for 

Ground Control Points (GCPs). 
0 Note: This manual refers to version 2.4 of eMotion and version 3.3 and 

above of Postflight Terra 3D software. The eBee RTK requires eMotion 

2.4. If you installed eMotion before purchasing your drone, check the 

version and upgrade if necessary. You can consult the Release Notes 

for changes included in more recent versions of the software. 
Package contents 

eBee RTK 

battery packs 

spare propeller 

GNSS antenna, 

remote control, 

cables and propeller 

attachment bands 

ground 

modem 

EPP 

glue 

wing eBee 

central body 

wing 

user manual 

eBee RTK 

battery charger 

eBee RTK battery 

charger power 

adapter 

camera 

charger 

camera 
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The standard eBee RTK package contains the following items: 

• 1 x carrying case with foam protection 

• 1 x eBee RTK central body with built-in autopilot 

• 1 x pair of detachable wings 

• 1 x spare propeller 

• 1 Ox spare propeller attachment rubber bands 

• 2x Lithium-Polymer battery packs 

• 1 x Lithium-Polymer battery charger (including cables) 

• 1 x 2.4 GHz USB ground modem for radio data link (including USB cable) 

• 1 x 2.4 GHz remote control (including 3 AA batteries) 

• 1 x still camera (including memory card, battery and charger) 

• 1 x USB cable for interfacing with camera and on-board autopilot 

• 1x EPP glue 

• 1 x eBee RTK User Manual 

• 1 x camera User Manual 

Depending on your order, your package may also include other items, such as 

additional payloads. Please verify upon delivery that your package is complete. 

In case of a missing item, please contact your eBee RTK reseller immediately. 

Caution: The built-in GNSS receiver in the eBee RTK makes it heavier 

than the standard eBee. You must therefore only fly your eBee RTK 

with the camera provided. senseFiy Ltd cannot be held responsible 

for any loss or damage caused by flying an eBee RTK with a different 

camera installed. 
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0 

0 

Note: Some of the operating modes of the eBee RTK require 

a GNSS/RTK base station or access to a subscription-based Ntrip 

stream. These are not provided in the eBee RTK package. 

Note: Camera user manuals are also available to download from our 

Knowledge Base, part of my.senseFiy*. 

* http:/ /my.sensefly.com 
Hardware features 

ground 

sensor «~ II U @I ,I i ~ 

camera lens hole ill U \ 

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the 

Bottomtaceot 

central body ~w~; ~ 

=--~~~=-

The eBee RTK is an autonomous flying drone comprised of the following components: 

• Central body: This is the core of the eBee RTK and includes all the electronics, actuators and communications hardware on-board the drone. 

• Wing: The two wings of the eBee RTK are detachable for storage and replacement. Each wing has two wing struts and two clips to hold it in place 

within the central body. 
• Winglets: These structures add aerodynamic stability to the drone while it 

is in flight. 

• Ailerons: Used to control the eBee RTK while in flight. 

• Servo connection mechanism: The ailerons are connected to the servomotors within the central body ofthe drone through this connection mechanism. 

• Propeller: Used to generate thrust while it is in flight. 

Caution: When attached to the motor the propeller spins at high 

speeds and can be potentially dangerous if it comes into contact with 

exposed skin. Be sure to always keep your hands clear of the propeller 

when the battery is attached to the eBee RTK. 

• Battery compartment: The eBee RTK is powered by a LiPo (Lithium Polymer) battery stored within the battery compartment. 

Caution: Proper care of your battery is essential. Please read section 

'Proper battery care' on page 165 before using your drone for the first 

time. 

• GNSS/RTK Antenna: The advanced GNSS antenna, capable of capturing 

several GNSS signals, is used for navigation and to increase geo-tagging 

precision. 

• Camera compartment: The eBee RTK features a built-in camera for taking 

aerial images stored within the camera compartment. 

• Data Link Antenna: Used by the drone to communicate with the eAtlotion 

software through the USB ground modem. 

• Pitot probe: This is the sensor used by the eBee RTK to detect airspeed, 

wind and altitude. It must be kept clean and clear of obstructions to function properly. 
• Status LED: This coloured LED displays the current state of the eBee RTK.It 

is housed underneath the pitot probe and thus illuminates the entire transparent probe in various colours depending on the drone's state. 

• Ground sensor: The ground sensor, composed of a high-speed optical 

sensor and lens assembly, is used to detect the proximity of the ground. 
Software features 

The eBee RTK package allows you to download and use eMotion* and 

Postflight Terra 30 * t at no extra cost. 

eMotion 2 

eMotion is the integrated software package that allows you to interact with your 

eBee RTK. Its easy-to-use interface allows you to plan a mapping flight intuitively 

from the comfort of your office or directly in the field. Once the drone is launched, 

you can use eMotion's wireless connection with your eBee RTK to track its position, 

monitor the progress of your mapping flight and send commands if desired. 

~ 

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Terra 

Once your eBee RTK returns after an aerial mapping flight it is the turn of Postflight 

Terra 30 to process the captured images fully automatically. Postflight Terra 30 is 

a full-featured mapping solution: with just a few mouse clicks it can create highquality geo-referenced 20 and 30 orthomosaics and digital elevation/surface models (OEM/OSM). While you are still in the field Postflight Terra 30 analyses the quality of the captured images and generates an easy to understand report, letting you 

know immediately if the data you captured meets your mapping requirements. 

* Software access terms and conditions apply 

t Postflight Terra 3D cannot be used to process swing let CAM images 
Contents 

Quick start guide 

1 Planning and simulating a flight 

1.1 Installing eMotion, Postflight Terra 30, and the ground modem 

drivers ........ 

1.2 The eMotion interface .. 

1.3 Creating a new flight plan 

1.4 The mission phase of a flight . 

1.5 Simulating your flight ... 

1.6 Getting ready for a mission 

2 Setting up RTK 

2.1 Base station compatibility . . . . . . . 

2.2 Setting up your GNSS/RTK base station 

23 

24 

24 

25 

29 

30 

32 

33 

35 

35 

35 

2.3 Setting up reference points for your GNSS/RTK base station 37 

2.4 Setting up virtual reference broadcasters 38 

3 Using RTK 40 

3.1 Using a local base station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 

3.2 Using your eBee RTK with a virtual reference broadcaster . 43 

3.3 Using your eBee RTK in standalone mode 

4 Executing a flight 

4.1 Weather check 

43 

45 

45 
-" ) 

4.2 Preparing the eBee RTK for flight . 46 

4.3 The setup phase of a flight . 55 

4.4 Take-off ........... 59 

4.5 In-flight monitoring and control . 62 

4.6 Landing ......... 64 

4.7 Potential in-flight errors 64 

5 Processing image data 66 

5.1 High precision geotagging with the eBee RTK . 66 

5.2 Obtaining your images and flight data .... 66 

5.3 How to import images and data from the drone 69 

5.4 In-field image quality check ...... 74 

5.5 Creating advanced mapping products 76 

5.6 Transforming coordinates ....... 76 

II Advanced functionalities 79 

6 Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee RTK 80 

6.1 Waypoints and their properties 80 

6.2 Advanced polygonal mission area 85 

6.3 30 mission planning using elevation data . 86 

6.4 Flight visualization in Goog/e EarthTM ... 88 

6.5 Autonomous controller and modes of flight . 90 

6.6 Linear landing .............. 94 

6.7 Flying multiple drones at the same time 100 

6.8 Individual photo targets and oblique imagery 105 
. \. 

6.9 Emergency Manoeuvres 107 

7 eMotion in-depth guide 112 

7.1 Tool bar .. . ..... 113 

7.2 Simulator . ...... 116 

7.3 Control Bar ....... 118 

7.4 Flight Monitoring tab 121 

7.5 Setup Phase tab ... • ••• 0 • 125 

7.6 Mission Planning tab . ...... 130 

7.7 Mission Waypoints tab .. •••• 0 ••• 139 

7.8 Camera tab ...... ........ 141 

7.9 Flight Parameters tab ............ 146 

8 Manual control of the eBee RTK 150 

8.1 Enabling manual control .. . . . . . . . . ...... 150 

8.2 Pre-flight testing of the remote control .. . . . . . . 152 

8.3 Full Manual mode .... . ........ 153 

8.4 Assisted Manual mode .. ........... 154 
Ill Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

9 Maintenance and repair of the eBee RTK 

9.1 Updating the eBee RTK's software and firmware . 

9.2 How to update the eBee RTK's firmware 

9.3 Cleaning and storage . . . . . . .. 

9.4 Full airframe and sensor inspection 

9.5 Repairing the eBee RTK airframe . . 

9.6 Re-attaching the GNSS/RTK Antenna 

9.7 Proper battery care . 

1 0 Troubleshooting 

10.1 Pre-flight errors . 

10.2 Take-off vetoes . 

10.3 In-flight warnings 

1 0.4 Critical failures .. 

10.5 Resetting default camera settings 

10.6 Improving radio signal communication 

10.7 Losing and locating your eBee RTK in the field . 

1 0.8 Reporting a problem with your eBee RTK . . . 

IV Specifications 

1 Software requirements 

2 Drone specifications 

157 

158 

158 

159 

160 

160 

164 

164 

165 

168 

169 

172 

174 

188 

191 

191 

192 

193 

195 

196 

197 
3 On-board GNSS/RTK receiver 199 
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Part I 

Quick start guide 

The first part of this document introduces you to the eBee RTK and contains the 

basic information you will need to plan and execute a simple mapping project. A 

typical mapping project can be divided into three main phases: 

1. Planning and simulating a flight: Every project begins with careful planning, whether it is a quick flight over a small area or a multi-stage flight 

in complex terrain. Section 'Planning and simulating a flight' on the next 

page describes how to use the Mission Planning feature to quickly generate 

a flight plan and to test it using the built-in simulator. 

2. Executing a flight: Once planning is complete, it is time for the drone to 

perform its flight. In section 'Executing a flight' on page 45 you will learn 

how to prepare your drone for flight, connect it to eMotion, and to monitor 

it in flight while it gathers images. Though the eBee RTK can complete a 

flight fully autonomously from take-off to landing, you can also modify its 

flight plan at any point during flight. 

3. Processing image data: The last step in a project is converting the images 

taken by youreBee RTK into usable products such as precise geo-referenced 

orthomosaics or 30 terrain models. section 'Processing image data' on page 66 

leads you through the process of transferring images from the drone to a 

computer, checking if the image quality suits your needs while still in the 

field and producing advanced 20 and 30 maps. 
Quick start guide 

1 Planning and simulating a flight 

1.1 

Goal of this section: This section introduces the eMotion software 

used to interface with the eBee RTK. It describes the steps required 

to plan, simulate, and save a simple mapping flight. A more detailed 

description of eMotion and its advanced functions is presented in section 'eMotion in-depth guide' on page 112. 

Installing eMotion, Postflight Terra 3D, and the ground modem drivers 

You can download the latest version of eMotion and Postflight Terra 30 at: 

http://my.sensefly.com 

We recommend that you download and install Goog/e EarthTM to take full advantage of the features of eMotion. You can find more information at the following 

address: 

www.google.com/earth/ 

To install eMotion on Windows, simply execute the provided installers for eMotion 

and Postflight Terra 30 and follow the on-screen instructions. The eMotion and 

Postflight Terra 30 software will be available in the 'Start' menu. Drivers for the USB 

ground station ground modem will automatically be installed along with eMotion. 

In case a problem arises after connecting the ground modem to the computer for 

the first time you can find the drivers in one of the following directories (depending on your version of Windows): 

C:\Program Files\senseFly\eMotion 2\usb_driver\ 

C:\Program Files (x86)\senseFly\eMotion 2\usb_driver\ 

See section 'Updating the eBee RTK's software and firmware' on page 158 if you 

have any difficulty with software installation. 

24 
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Planning and simulating a flight 

1.2 The eMotion interface 

Thanks to the powerful tools available within eMotion, designing a mapping flight 

for your eBee RTK is a simple process. To get started, launch eMotion and choose 

what you would like to do ... 

~ ... 

• To run a simulation, select the simulator, choose the drone you want to 

simulate and click OK. 

• To fly a drone, connect your ground modem to your computer and select 

Drone. If you have more than one USB device connected to your PC (for 

example, you have a ground modem and GNSS base station), choose the 

ground modem you want to connect to from the list and click OK. Otherwise, just click OK. 

• To process flight data you already created, select the Flight Data Manager 

and click OK. 

We recommend that you plan flights using a simulated drone. Once connected to 

a real or simulated drone you will see the main screen of eMotion. 

The main screen of eMotion is split into four sections: 

• Map Area: The Map Area of eMotion displays a map with the drone's current position, indicated by the~ symbol. A small Status Panel floats be25 
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Quick start guide 

26 

Flight Parameters tab ------, 

Camera tab -----, 

Mission Waypoints tab -----, 

Mission Planning tab 

Setup Phase tab 

Flight Monitoring tab 

.. 0 'J_ - __ ..._,.,, ··~·· ... 

Sidebar 

Status 

Panel 

side the symbol, indicating important status information including the eBee RTK's 

current altitude (both Above the Take-off Altitude, marked as ATO, and Above 

Mean Sea Level, marked as AMSL), battery level, flight time, and status. The 

Status Panel can be hidden by clicking on the drone. Moving around the 

map is done by clicking and dragging at any place not occupied by a symbol (such as a waypoint or the drone symbol). 

• Control Bar: The Control Bar is used to issue various commands to the 
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Planning and simulating a flight 

eBee RTK while it is in flight, such as starting the mission phase or holding position. It is also used to display and acknowledge warnings that may 

occur either before or during a flight. 

• Tool bar: The Tool bar contains buttons to control the layers, sources or map 

information and other display options related to the Map Area. eMotion can 

use many sources of mapping information. You can also choose your RTK 

source from the pulldown menu and click ·•"' to Set Up RTK. 

• Sidebar: The Sidebar is split into several tabs, each with a particular function. The Flight Monitoring tab is used for monitoring the drone while in 

flight. The Setup Phase tab controls the take-off and landing portions of 

a flight plan (referred to as the 'setup phase') whereas the Mission Planning tab defines the image acquisition portion of the flight plan (referred 

to as the 'mission phase'). The last three tabs are used for advanced waypoint planning and parameter setting. You can hide the Sidebar by clicking 

on its left edge. The Sidebar also contains controls for the simulator when 

connected to a simulated drone. 

Your eBee RTK's operating modes 

Your eBee RTK can operate in several different modes: 

Local Base, Precisely Known Coordinates 

Create DSMs and orthomosaics with high absolute coordinate accuracy using your 

precisely measured base station position as a GCP. Useful when a survey has already been done and reference points are already marked out. No post-processing 

is needed to achieve RTK-Ievel geo-tag accuracy. 

• Place your base station on a known reference point. 

• In eMotion, select the base station, set the reference point and base station 

height. 

• eMotion streams correction data to the drone through the ground modem. 

27 
) 

Quick start guide 

Local Base, Unknown or Imprecise Coordinates 

Create DSMs and orthomosaics with geo-tagging relative to an approximate base 

station position, then post-process GNSS data to reach high absolute coordinate 

accuracy. Useful for green-field surveying when no GCPs have been set, when 

in-field time is limited or it is impractical to survey beforehand. 

• Position your base station in a convenient location. 

• Have eMotion obtain, or set your base station's approximate position. 

• eMotion streams correction data to the drone through the ground modem. 

• Your base station's position will be corrected to a high level of absolute accuracy in post-processing, by eMotion, using raw GNSS/RTK base station 

and reference station files, or by an external post-processing service of your 

choosing. See section 'Obtaining your images and flight data' on page 66 

for details. 

Virtual Reference Station 

Create DSMs and orthomosaics using reference station networks to achieve very 

high precision absolute geo-tags. Used when you want to benefit from the high 

absolute precision achievable from sophisticated Ntrip networks, or when surveying equipment is unavailable or inconvenient. 

• Configure your drone 's eMotion software to receive VRS/Ntrip correction 

data (Internet connection and VRS/Ntrip subscription required). 

• Correction data is streamed to the drone via its eMotion flight control software and ground modem. 

Standalone 

Use to create maps and DSMs when high relative precision is enough or when 

RTK corrections are unnecessary or unavailable. Take only the eBee RTK, ground 

modem and computer and come back with high-quality DSMs and orthomosaics. 

28 
\ 

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Planning and simulating a flight 

• You can operate the eBee RTK without RTK corrections. In this standalone 

mode you can still expect a higher level of absolute coordinate accuracy 

than a sense Fly drone equipped with a standard GPS antenna. See section 

'On-board GNSS/RTK receiver' on page 199 for details. 

0 Note: If you select one of the modes that requires a real or virtual 

base station, and a connection to that base station is unavailable, a 

take-off veto will be displayed in eMotion and the status LED on your 

drone will start pulsing blue. Section 'Take-off vetoes' on page 172 

describes the possible messages and the user action that should be 

taken to remove them. 

1.3 Creating a new flight plan 

Every mapping flight requires a flight plan, which is a path defined by a set of 

waypoints, or points in 30 space, and a set of actions that can be performed at or 

in between waypoints, such as taking images, proceeding to the next waypoint 

or landing. A flight plan is shown in the Map Area using circles to represent waypoints, lines to representthe flight path and arrows to show the direction of flight. 

The large circle with a thick border illustrates the working area boundaries within 

which the eBee RTK will always remain. See section 'Waypoints and their properties' on page 80 for more information on waypoints and the various symbols 

presented in the Map Area. 

A complete flight plan for an eBee RTK is divided into two separate phases: the 

setup phase and the mission phase. The mission phase includes waypoints and 

actions related to mapping and capturing images. The setup phase includes waypoints and actions related to take-off and landing. This phase is usually planned 

directly in the field and is explained in detail in section 'The setup phase of a flight' 

on page 55. 

29 
Quick start guide 

1.4 The mission phase of a flight 

The easiest way to create a mapping flight for the systematic coverage of an area is 

to use the automatic mission planning feature of eMotion. By simply positioning a 

rectangle around the area you would like to cover, eMotion will generate a mission 

plan optimised for the ground resolution that you desire. 

0 

Step 5: check in Google Earth Step 1: open tab and select 

correct camera 

Step3: 

choose 

params 

--- · ·· · Step4: .. - :J 

·;::_:::- :... upload 

'--,~- ~ 

Note: For more complex terrain and missions, eMotion has the ability to set polygonal mission areas of any size and shape, and to automatically adjust waypoint altitudes based on elevation data. These 

powerful features are described in more detail in section 'Advanced 

polygonal mission area' on page 85 and section '3D mission planning 

using elevation data' on page 86, respectively. 

Follow these steps to automatically setup waypoints for a mapping mission: 

30 

1. Select the Mission Planning tab from the Sidebar. A grey zone will appear 

in the Map Area to designate the mission area to cover. Information such 

as size and position is overlaid on the area. A mission plan, including the 

required waypoints, is automatically calculated and displayed to preview 

the mission plan that will be created. 
Planning and simulating a flight 

2. Adjust the location, size, and shape of the mission area. The area can be 

relocated by dragging the gray zone. The four square handles on the edges 

of the area can be used to resize it and the round handles on the corners of 

the area can be used to rotate it. As you adjust the area the mission plan 

preview is continuously updated. 

3. Adjust the mapping and mission parameters in the Mission Planning tab to 

suit your terrain and quality requirements 1

• As a first step, eMotion provides 

two predefined set of parameters; 'Easy terrain' are the default parameters 

designed for simpler terrain, such as mines or agriculture, whereas 'Difficult 

terrain' is designed for complex areas, such as forests, and provides higher 

image overlap at the cost of a lower resolution. Be sure to include an estimated wind speed and direction, as this has an effect on the area that can 

be covered in a single flight. Once again, the mission plan preview will be 

continuously updated as you modify the parameters. 

4. Check the resulting flight characteristics in the tab. Once you are satisfied, 

upload the mission plan to the simulated drone by clicking the 'Upload' 

button. 

5. Click the@ button in the Toolbarto open the flight plan in Goog/e EarthTM2

• 

Review the flight plan to ensure that there is sufficient clearance between 

the flight plan and the ground. Any updates to the flight plan that you 

make within eMotion will be reflected directly in Goog!e EarthTM. 

1 see section 'Mission Planning tab' on page 130 for a complete description of available parameters 2 see section 'Flight visualization in Google EarthTM' on page 88 

31 
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' / 

Quick start guide 

Caution: eMotion as well as the automatic mission planning tool are 

not aware of any obstacles that may exist in the area. In addition, 

when not using elevation data, the mission planning tool assumes 

that the mission area is flat and at the same altitude than the take-off 

location. It is also not aware of any legal restriction (such as minimum 

or maximum altitude) that may exist in your region. The resulting 

flight plan should be carefully reviewed in order to avoid any collision 

with uneven terrain or tall objects such as buildings, and to comply 

with local regulations. 

The final step after you have prepared a flight plan is to save it to a file that you 

can load into the eBee RTK when you are in the field. Select the Setup Phase tab 

from the Sidebar, click on 'Save flight plan to file .. :, choose a filename and location 

and click 'Save: 

1.5 Simulating your flight 

Simulating your flight gives you an idea of the position and size of images that 

will be taken during the flight. In addition, it allows you to learn to use advanced 

functions, such as in-flight waypoint editing and camera control. without putting 

your eBee RTK at risk3

• When eMotion is connected to a simulated drone an extra 

set of buttons appear in the Sidebar: 

fast-forward --------, .------re-position take-off location 

play I I initiate take-off 

pause ~ r-instant recharge of battery 

S!Jn!Jiilf!"' --

H 0 

Wind: T 2.0 mfs .a.. T 318~ 

-.a. 

You can set the take-off location of the eBee RTK by clicking on the 0 icon and 

placing the point on the map. This simulates the action of switching on the real 

3 see section 'Simulator' on page 116 for a complete description of the simulator 

32 
Planning and simulating a flight 

drone and letting it acquire GPS/GLONASS signals. You can test your flight plan by 

clicking the ~ icon, simulating a take-off manoeuvre. The eBee RTK will then go 

through its flight plan in the same way it would in the field. You can pause, play 

or speed up the simulation by clicking the corresponding buttons in the Tool bar. 

You can monitor the state of the drone while in flight using the Flight Monitoring 

tab and the Status Panel4

. You may also monitor the flight in 30 in Google EarthTM 

by clicking on the@ button in the Toolbar. 

1.6 

Caution: The simulator is a tool designed to aid with flight planning 

and to familiarise you with the advanced functions of your eBee RTK. 

The simulated physics, however, are basic and do not always accurately reflect the true behaviour of the drone in flight. In particular, 

estimates of battery level and reactions to wind are difficult to simulate with high accuracy. You should in no case depend on behaviours 

seen with a simulated drone to be reproduced exactly in real flight. 

Getting ready for a mission 

Before leaving for the field to perform a flight, be sure to fully charge all your 

eBee RTK batteries5

• When delivered, the eBee RTK battery may not be fully charged. 

power cable LiPo Balance 

---.Charger 

balance LEDs 

eBee battery pack 

(not to scale) 

To charge an eBee RTK battery pack, connect it to the battery charger as illustrated 

above. During charge, the status LED on the charger is solid red. Charging is complete when the status LED turns green. 

The charger provided independently balances the voltage of each of the 3 cells 

contained in the battery pack to ensures optimal performance and battery life. 

4 see section 'In-flight monitoring and control' on page 62 5 Consult your payload user manual to know if the payload battery is necessary for the flight 

33 
Quick start guide 

If any of the cells is unbalanced, its associated LED will flash red during charging 

until it is re-balanced. Charging can take up to an hour, depending on the charge 

level of the battery and the required cell balancing work. See section 'Proper battery care' on page 165 for more information on maintaining your drone's batteries. 

If you plan on performing a flight away from an Internet connection it is useful to 

preload map tiles by selecting 'Download maps .. : from the liiil File menu. More 

details on how to take advantage of the various map sources available in eMotion 

can be found in section Toolbar' on page 113. 

34 
Setting up RTK 

2 Setting up RTK 

2.1 Base station compatibility 

With built-in support for the standard RTCM RTK data transmission protocols, the 

eBee RTK with eMotion can be expected to receive and process corrections from 

a wide range of base stations. senseFiy has tested a series of RTCM-compliant 

base stations from leading brands, checked for non-standard features that might 

cause incompatibility, and has thus validated them for use with the eBee RTK and 

eMotion. 

Some base station manufacturers also make available proprietary data transmission protocols, and senseFiy has used these to develop additional base-eMotion 

automation features for some of these bases. 

Please refer to the following Knowledge Base article for a list of base stations that 

senseFiy has validated, and which base-eMotion automation features you should 

expect: 

https :/I sensefly.zendesk.co m/ e ntries/1 054 23496-1 s-my-Base-Statio n-Co m pati blewith-the-eBee-RTK-and-eMotion0 

2.2 

Note: This list will change as senseFiy enhances eMotion, so please 

refer to this list regularly, especially if purchasing a base station, or if 

considering using one with your eBee RTK for the first time. 

Setting up your GNSS/RTK base station 

To enable high-precision navigation and gee-tagging, connect eMotion to an RTKcapable base station (not provided in the eBee RTK package). Corrections will 

be sent through the ground modem, and precise geo-tags will be automatically 

stored alongside your photos in the automatically generated flight logs. 

You can set up several base stations in eMotion. Once in the field you can then 

quickly change base station using the Choose RTK Source menu on the eMotion 

tool bar. 

35 
) 

Quick start guide 

Step 1 Connect your base station to the computer on which you installed eMotion following your base station manufacturer's instructions. The way you 

connect depends on your base station make and model. eMotion will accept, for example, serial and USB connections. 

Step 2 Click ;;<; RTK Setup on the eMotion tool bar. 

Step 3 In the Local Bases tab, click Add Base. 

Step 4 Enter the Base Name. 

Step 5 Choose your base station's manufacturer. 

Step 6 From the Connection Type menu, choose the way in which you have connected your base station to your computer. 

Step 7 From the next menu (USB or Serial, depending on the Connection Type 

you chose), choose the link to your base station. 

Step 8 If you are using a serial connection, launch your base station's configuration tool and use it to check: 

• that the serial port configuration (Baud Rate and Stop Bits) shown 

in eMotion matches the configuration that your computer is using 

to connect to the base station. 

• whether your base station requires hardware flow control. If it does, 

check the Hardware Flow Control checkbox in eMotion. 

Step 9 Click OK to add the base station. 

0 

36 

Note: If you have several eBee RTKs connected to eMotion using several USB ground modems, they all take correction data from the same 

GNSS/RTK base station. 
) 

2.3 

0 

Setting up RTK 

Setting up reference points for your GNSS/RTK base station 

Note: All coordinates in eMotion are displayed in decimal in the 

global WGS 84 reference frame. This is the reference frame used by 

GPS satellites. 

eMotion assumes that any coordinate you enter is in the WGS 84 reference frame. If you are using a local or national geoid (MSL) or geodetic coordinate system, you must convert coordinates into WGS 84 before entering them into eMotion. The way you do this depends on the 

geoid and the tools available to you. Online or downloadable conversion tools may be available from your base station's manufacturer or 

a national geodetic society. 

Note that the eBee RTK internal GNSS receiver transforms the 

GLONASS ellipsoid (PZ-90) into WGS 84. 

You can set up several reference points in eMotion. Once in the field you can then 

quickly change base station position using the Choose RTK Source menu. 

Step 8 Click * RTK Setup on the eMotion tool bar. 

Step 9 In the 0 Reference Points panel, click Add Point. 

Step 10 Enter the name of the reference point. 

Step 11 Enter the decimal Latitude, Longitude and Ellipsoid Height of the reference point and click OK. 

0 Note: To remove a base station or reference point from the list, click 

0 for the item you want to remove 

37 
Quick start guide 

0 

2.4 

0 

0 

Note: If you have access to reference station files, it is not essential to 

have the precise coordinates of your base station. Your eBee RTK logs 

its position relative to the base station with a high degree of precision (using RTK corrections). Once your flight is complete, eMotion 

can calculate your base station's precise position using the raw data 

stored on your base and reference stations. It can then apply a correction to your drone's position to obtain precise absolute geo-tags 

for your images. eMotion accepts reference station files in RINEX format. See section 'Obtaining your images and flight data' on page 66 

for instructions. 

Setting up virtual reference broadcasters 

Note: eMotion also allows you to configure a series of connections 

to Ntrip streams from public or subscription-based broadcasters and 

set up virtual reference stations (VRSs). 

Note: A pre-configured set of Ntrip broadcasters is available for use 

in eMotion, and you can configure a connection to your own broadcaster. Before using a subscription-based Ntrip stream, or an Ntrip 

stream that requires registration, you must first register or subscribe 

through the stream provider, for example, on their website or by contacting them directly. You cannot register or subscribe using eMotion. 

Step 1 Find a suitable Ntrip broadcaster and register or subscribe if necessary 

before adding the VRS to eMotion. 

Step 2 Click "" RTK Setup on the eMotion too! bar. 

Step 3 In the ~ Virtual Reference tab, click Add Virtual Reference. 

Step 4 To use a pre-configured stream, choose the broadcaster's server domain 

from the Server menu. To set up a custom stream, enter the broadcaster's 

domain in the Server menu. 

38 
Setting up RTK 

Step 5 Enter the port number on which the broadcaster is streaming. This is often port 2101 (set by default), however, the caster device may be streaming on a different port. Check with the broadcaster to confirm. 

Step 6 If you are connecting to a stream that requires registration or subscription, enter your user name and password. 

0 Note: As you enter the broadcaster's domain, the streaming port, 

your user ID and password, eMotion will try and connect to the server. 

As long as these details are incorrect or incomplete you will see an error message on the dialog. The list of remote streams only appears 

when you have entered enough correct details to successfully connect to the broadcaster. 

Step 7 Scroll through the list of streams. Click on a stream to view its details. 

Step 8 Click +. The stream will be added to the list in the Choose RTK Source 

menu on the tool bar. If you entered a user name and password, these 

are stored in eMotion and will be submitted to the broadcaster when you 

connect. 

0 Note: To remove a virtual reference, click 0 for the item you want 

to remove. 

39 
\ 

Quick start guide 

3 Using RTK 

Choose the source of your RTK corrections using the menu on the eMotion tool bar. 

The message RTK Source Not Defined appears until you either choose a source or 

choose to fly standalone. 

SetUpRTK ~ 

Choose RTK Source l I RTKStatus 

Gps "" --"" 

The status of your RTK corrections, directly from your base station, or indirectly 

from a reference station network, is displayed on the tool bar: 

Not sufficient eMotion was not sent the data it needs (position and correction vector) 

Timeout eMotion was getting position and correction data, but is no 

longer 

OK All is well; eMotion is getting position and correction data as 

expected 

3.1 Using a local base station 

Step 1 Connect your base station to the computer on which you installed eMotion following your base station manufacturer's instructions. 

Step 2 Choose your base station from the Choose RTK Source menu on the toolbar. 

The Set Base Position dialog will appear. 

40 
If your Base Station's Position is Known: 

Reference station information: 

Reference moon name: 

Position mode 

{!J ~known raft-renee poltd.: 

;:_' Above unknown point 

Base position (WGS84) 

Reference point 

~' _, 

Elllproidh"<lht 

Hlt!ght: reference: 

Antenna~: 

Uoffset: 

L2offset: 

634.664m 

.., 55,7mm 

...,. 56.8mm 

Step 3 Choose Above known reference point. 

Using RTK 

Step 4 Select the reference point. See section 'Setting up reference points for 

your GNSS/RTK base station' on page 37. 

Step 5 Set the Height reference of the point: 

• Ground marker 

• Phase centre 

• Bottom of antenna mount 

For example, if the point's Ellipsoid height refers to the bottom of your 

antenna's mount, choose Bottom of antenna mount. 

41 
\. 

) 

Quick start guide 

Step 6 If necessary, choose your Antenna model to set the offsets, or choose 

Custom and set the offsets yourself. 

If you have chosen a Height reference that is not the phase centre of your 

antenna, you will need to set the offsets. For example, if the reference 

point's Ellipsoid height refers to the bottom of your antenna's mount, 

you will set the offset distances between the antenna bottom and the 

phase centres. eMotion contains a database of antennas and their offsets. Choose your antenna from the list, adjust the offset if necessary, or 

choose Custom and set the offsets yourself. 

Step 7 Click Finish. A base station icon ( ) appears on your map at the reference 

point coordinates. 

If your Base Station's Position is Unknown or Imprecise: 

42 

Base position (WGS34) 

Youmustaskyourbage to set tr:scurrentpOSitloo 

lalrtu~: 

Longitude: 

El!ipsoldh'i!igltt; 

Helgtltreference: 

Set positi011 now 

Y46,57774970" 

• 634,664-m 

Flmsh 
Using RTK 

Step 3 Choose Above unknown point. 

Step 4 Click Set Position Now to take approximate coordinates from the connected base station. 

Step 5 Click Finish. A base station icon ( ) appears on your map at the base 

station's reported coordinates. 

0 

0 

Note: The absolute precision of the coordinates obtained from your 

base station will be greatly improved in post processing. 

Note: If the base-eMotion automation features that allow eMotion to 

communicate with the base are unavailable, the Set Base Position dialog still appears, but you cannot use it to set base position. You must 

set the base's position manually using its own positioning function. 

3.2 Using your eBee RTK with a virtual reference broadcaster 

Step 1 From the eMotion Choose RTK Source menu, select the VRS/Ntrip service 

you want to connect to for your flight. 

Step 2 If a VRS is created, a base station icon ( ) appears on your map at its 

coordinates. 

3.3 Using your eBee RTK in standalone mode 

If you do not need high-precision absolute image geo-tags, or RTK corrections 

from a GNSS/RTK base station or Ntrip broadcaster are not available, you can fly 

your eBee RTK in standalone mode. 

• From the eMotion Choose RTK Source, choose Standalone. 

43 
) 

I 

J 

Quick start guide 

Now that you have chosen your RTK source, or chosen to fly standalone, you can 

plan your mission and launch your real or simulated drone. See section 'Creating 

a new flight plan' on page 29 to get started). 

44 
\. 

\ 

) 

Executing a flight 

4 Executing a flight 

0 

4.1 

Goal of this section: This section describes how to prepare your 

eBee RTK for flight, launch, monitor and control from the air, and initiate an autonomous landing. 

Note: We recommend that you perform your first flight in a large 

obstacle-free area and limit the length of the mission in order to familiarise yourself with the eBee RTK in flight. 

Weather check 

Before each flight, you should be aware of the weather conditions. The eBee RTK 

is a small drone that cannot fly in heavy rain or strong wind conditions. Icing conditions must also be avoided. In case of doubt, make sure to check a weather bulletin including wind estimations in the flight area. Note that wind is often stronger 

at higher altitudes and that the wind perceived at the surface is not always a good 

reference to estimate the wind at flight altitude. Cloud velocity or tall tree movements can help you to estimate the wind speed once you are out in the field. 

Weather forecasts may use various units to measure wind speed. As a reference, 

1 m/s = 3.6 km/h = 2.24 mph = 1.94 kts(nm/h). 

45 
Quick start guide 

4.2 

Caution: The eBee RTK should not be launched if the wind speed exceeds 12 m/s (43.2 km/h, 26.8 mph, 23.3 kts). 

Caution: The eBee RTK is not designed to fly in temperatures above 

35° C. Avoid exposing the drone to high temperature for prolonged 

periods of time. In particular, leaving the drone exposed to the sun 

or in a car should be avoided. 

Preparing the eBee RTK for flight 

The eBee RTK's simple design means it can go from the box to being ready for flight 

in minutes. We recommend that you perform the following 6 steps before every 

flight to ensure that the platform is best prepared for flight. 

46 

0 Note: Remove the red warning sticker from the motor before your 

first flight. 

6 

Central body 

top view 

Central body 

bottom view 

3 

Wing- detached 
) 

) 

Executing a flight 

Step 1: Perform a general inspection 

Visually inspect the drone for damage or wear using the following steps: 

1. Check the foam central body and wings for cracks or other damage. 

2. Verify that the pitot probe is properly attached to the airframe and that the 

holes in the probe are free of obstructions. 

3. Verify that the ground sensor is free of obstructions and that the sensor's 

lens is clean. 

4. Verify that the wing struts are not split or damaged in any way. 

5. Verify that the tubes within the Central Body that hold the wing struts are 

not cracked or damaged in any way. 

Caution: It is vital to carefully inspect the wing struts and tubes 

within the Central Body before every flight, as they may cause a crash 

if they are damaged in any way. This is particularly important if the 

wings were found separated from the Central Body after a previous 

flight. 

6. Verify that the power cables within the battery compartment are well insulated and not damaged. 

0 Note: A general inspection should be performed before every flight. 

It is also good practice to perform a full airframe check regularly to 

keep your eBee RTK in good shape. See section 'Full airframe and sensor inspection' on page 160 for more details. 

47 
Quick start guide 

~ propeller@ 

attachment 

rubber bands 

Step 2: Install the propeller 

Mount the propeller on the motor axis. Secure the propeller using two attachment rubber bands as illustrated above. Ensure that the propeller is lying flat 

against the motor mount, and that the rubber bands do not show cracks or any 

other sign of aging. 

0 

48 

Caution: Failure to use two rubber bands may result in the loss ofthe 

propeller in flight! 

Note: After extensive use, the rubber bands may develop cracks. This 

is normal and is caused by the ageing of the rubber material. For maximum security, inspect the rubber bands regularly and discard them 

if they show cracks. 1 0 spare rubber bands are included in the package. 
\ 

) 

) 

Executing a flight 

insert camera into 

compartment 

Step 3: Install the camera 

plug in camera connector to camera plug 

/ 

~ 0 

iiJ 1;1 

close camera 

compartment lid 

Install the camera into the payload bay6 within the eBee RTK and close the camera 

compartment lid. If the camera connector is not already connected, plug it into 

the connector with the iii icon on the eBee RTK. 

Caution: The eBee RTK has not been designed to flyvvithout the camera. Attempting to fly without the camera may render the drone unstable, which may eventually lead to a crash. 

6 Some payloads may require a separate battery or SD card to operate properly. Please refer to the 

User Manual of the camera or other payload for proper installation instructions. 

49 
Quick start guide 

Caution: Connect only compatible senseFiy cameras to the drone's 

camera port. Never try to connect anything else. 

ensure servo 

connection 

mechanism is 

aligned 

and engaged 

Step 4: Attach the wings 

insert wing struts into central 

body 

Attach the wings to the central body by inserting the wing struts into the receptacles in the central body. Ensure that the ailerons are properly aligned with 

the servo connection mechanism before pushing the wings fully into the central 

body. 

50 
Executing a flight 

Caution: Flying with damaged wing struts or a badly engaged servo 

connection mechanism may cause erratic flight and ultimately a 

crash. Be sure to properly inspect and attach the wings before flight. 

connect battery and 

insert into 

compartment 

close battery 

compartment 

Startup 

process: 

connect battery - disconnect battery 

l - t 

status LED: 1 'blue' _ preflight checks -~ailed \puls;_l .··red'\ l - status LED: \ •• ~~~~) 

ready for startup 

green status LED: solid 

Step 5: Install and connect the battery 

Lay the eBee RTK horizontally on the ground outside in the vicinity of the takeoff location, with the top face up. To install the battery, begin by connecting the 

power cables to the battery. Insert the connectors firmly to the end in order to 

avoid undesired disconnection when in flight. Once connected, insert the battery 

into its compartment and close the compartment lid. 

51 
\ 

) 

Quick start guide 

0 

Caution: Take care to keep the propeller area clear, in case it suddenly starts spinning. 

Note: Only connect the battery cables to the drone when you are 

ready for start-up. Do not leave the battery connected for extended 

periods of time when the drone is on the ground, as this may discharge the batteries and cause irreparable damage. When connected 

and not in flight, the eBee RTK will briefly move its ailerons up and 

down every minute as a reminder that it is switched on. 

As soon as the battery is connected the eBee RTK will perform an automatic selfcheck of its sensors and acquire GPS/GLONASS signals. Be sure not to move the 

drone during these tests. It is important that the drone is not inclined more than 

10 degrees in order to start up properly. Pre-flight checks may last from a few 

seconds to several minutes in the case of poor GPS/GLONASS signal reception. As 

these satellite signals are required for the checks to complete, be sure to place the 

eBee RTK outside with a clear view of the sky. 

During the pre-flight checks the status LED will pulse blue. Once the pre-flight 

checks are complete the eBee RTK will flip its ailerons up and down and the status 

LED will turn solid green to indicate it is ready. You may already connect the drone 

to eMotion (Step 6) before pre-flight checks are complete to get a better idea of 

the status of the checks. 

0 

52 

Note: If there was any problem during the pre-flight checks performed by the drone this will be indicated by a Pre-flight error in eMotion as well as a by the status LED blinking red. See section 'Pre-flight 

errors' on page 169 for a description of possible Pre-flight errors and 

how to handle them. 
/ 

Executing a flight 

Dm/ATO 

l74m.<<Am QW Om/ATo- riJD 0:00 174 nVAMSt 

Idle IDDO:OO RunnJncprt-fli&btchfdcs 

~ 

Idle 

Rudytataboff 

. I when p?sition / \ 

"'"'"" I \ 

u 

select eBee RTK 

click OK 

select FTDI port 

Step 6: Connect to eMotion 

Start by connecting the USB ground modem to your computer. Then launch eMotion, which will display the Connection window. Select the eBee RTK connection 

profile, choose the corresponding FTDI port and click 'OK: 

0 Note: Every eBee RTK is paired with the ground modem it is delivered with, and will only work with that particular modem. The name 

of the FTDI port corresponding to the ground modem is labelled as 

'eBee RTK-SERIAL; where SERIAL is the serial number of the drone it is 

paired with. 

When a connection is established eMotion will display a map and the Status Panel 

indicating the current state of the drone. If the eBee RTK has not yet detected its 

location the Status Panel will appear in the top right corner of the Map Area with 

the text 'GPS/GLOf\JASS: Waiting for signals .. :. During this time the status LED on 

the drone will pulse blue. 

Once your drone has set its position using GPS/GLONASS signals, an icon of the 

drone will appear at its location on the map. If the drone's location is not on the 

rnap you can click the.,.;.. button from the Toolbar to centre the map on the drone. 

The drone's status on eMotion will be displayed as 'Idle, Ready to take-off' and the 

status LED will become solid green. 

53 
Quick start guide 

You can now load a flight plan you prepared earlier by selecting the Setup Phase 

tab from the Sidebar, clicking on 'Load flight plan from file .. : and selecting your 

flight plan file. Alternatively, you can plan the entire mission in the field, following 

the same process outlined in section 'Planning and simulating a flight' on page 24. 

54 
) 

) 

Executing a flight 

4.3 The setup phase of a flight 

The setup phase of a flight includes the waypoints and actions related to the takeoff and landing of the eBee RTK and includes the following locations: 

• Take-off location: The point from which the drone is launched, automatically set to the location calculated from GPS/GLONASS signals by the drone 

when it is launched. This location defines the altitude of 0 m/ATO (Oft/ ATO) 

where I ATO stands for above take-off; the altitudes of all other waypoints, 

when defined in m/ATO, are referenced to the altitude of this location. 

• Start waypoint: The first point that the drone flies towards when launched 

(once it reaches the take-off transition altitude). 

• Home waypoint: The safe point for the drone to circle in case of emergency, as well as its landing position at the end of a flight for both Linear 

and Circular landings. 

D D 

D 

location 

, 

, , 

Start /~"}/.:;;-¢:<?)""' take-off 

waypoinf " transition 

altitude reached 

Approach 

sector 

obstaclefree zones 

wind 

direction 

55 
Quick start guide 

It is important to carefully select the take-off location, the Start waypoint and the 

Home waypoint to ensure your drone remains at a safe distance from obstacles. 

The eBee RTK should always be launched against the wind. Select a take-off location clear of obstacles (buildings, rocks, power lines, hills, trees, etc.) within a 

distance of at least 40 m (131 ft) in the upwind direction. Immediately after takeoff it will keep its wings level and climb in the general direction it was launched 

until it reaches the take-off transition altitude7

, at which point it will start flying 

towards the Start waypoint. 

By default, the Start waypoint is set to a distance of 80 m (262ft) West of the initial 

position of the drone and an altitude of 75 m/ ATO (246ft/ ATO).It is good practice 

to move the Start waypoint close to and upwind from the take-off location to allow a smooth transition between take-off and waypoint-directed flight. You can 

move waypoints by clicking on them and dragging them within the Map Area8

• 

The Home way point is used both as the landing location and as a safety position in 

case of an In-flight warning. The eBee RTK can perform either a Linear or a Circular 

landing. Linear landing is the default and recommended landing type, especially 

in high winds. To prepare a Linear landing, place the Home waypoint centre at a 

location that is at the same altitude as the take-off location and is clear of obstacles 

in a 10m (33ft) radius. Choose one or several approach sectors that are free of 

obstacles for at least 60 m (197ft) from the Home waypoint centre. You can drag 

the approach sector around the Home waypoint and change its width directly in 

the Map Area or from within the Setup Phase tab. Make the approach sector(s) 

as wide as possible to maximize the chance that the drone can subsequently land 

against the direction of the wind. Ensure that the terrain within the approach 

sector is flat and contains visual contrast to allow the ground sensor to function 

properly during landing. 

When a Linear landing is initiated (either automatically or by pressing the 'Go 

Land' button in the control bar) the drone will fly towards the Home way point, circle the waypoint (at 75 m/ATO (246 ft/ATO) by default) to measure the direction 

7 By default the take-off transition altitude is set to 20m (66ft). In difficult launch conditions you 

can set both the take-off heading and the take-off transition altitude in the Setup Phase tab, as 

described in section 'Setup Phase tab' on page 125. 8 see section 'Waypoints and their properties' on page 80 for a more detailed explanation on waypoints and how to modify them 

56 
) 

Executing a flight 

of the wind at the landing location and choose an approach direction as much 

against the direction of the wind as possible. It will then fly downwind in the 

opposite direction of the approach direction, turn 180° and begin descending in 

the approach direction until it lands on the ground underneath the centre of the 

Home waypoint. The approach angle is around 20° and the drone will reverse its 

thrust if needed to maintain a suitable airspeed during this phase. 

0 Note: There are a number of requirements that must be fulfilled 

to ensure a successful Linear landing. Section 'Linear landing' on 

page 94 describes in more detail the Linear landing process and how 

to properly define approach sectors in more complex terrain. In 

particular, in the case of strong-wind conditions, low light or lowcontrast terrain, the precision of the final landing location around 

the Home waypoint is reduced. Therefore, it is safer to plan for more 

clearance, especially along the possible landing axes. 

If there are no suitable approach sectors to perform a Linear landing the drone 

can also perform a Circular landing around the Home waypoint. When initiating 

a Circular landing around the Home waypoint the drone will switch off its motor 

and glide down while circling around the Home waypoint at the waypoint's radius. During the Circular landing procedure the drone uses its ground sensor to 

measure the height above the ground, if the ground is well textured and there is 

enough light. When it reaches an altitude of 25 m (82 ft) above the ground the 

drone will level out, estimate the direction of the wind and resume its descent so 

as to touch down against the wind while remaining on the circle defined by the 

Home waypoint. 

Caution: The ground sensor can only provide usable feedback in 

daylight conditions above flat terrain that contains enough visual texture. If these conditions are not met during a circular landing, the 

drone cannot ensure a touchdown against the direction of the wind. 

Landing in the direction of the wind in strong-wind conditions may 

result in a high landing speed and damage to the eBee RTK. 

57 
Quick start guide 

To prepare a Circular landing, place the Home waypoint in a location that has no 

obstacles within a radius of 50 m (164ft) (or 20 m (66ft) more than the Home 

waypoint radius) to give the drone enough space to land. Ensure that the entire 

landing area is flat to allow the ground sensor to function properly. By default, 

the radius of the Home waypoint is 30 m (98ft). In high-wind conditions it is 

recommended to increase this diameter9

• 

0 

Caution: The radius of the Home waypoint, and thus of a Circular 

landing, can be reduced to 20m (66ft) but should only be done in low 

wind conditions (less than 3 m/s (6 nm/h)). Reducing the radius of the 

Home waypoint below 30m (98ft) in moderate- or high-wind conditions can result in damage to the drone when it contacts the ground 

during a landing. As indicative values, the Home waypoint radius 

should be set to 30 m (98ft) for wind speeds below 5 m/s (1 0 nm/h), 

40 m (131 ft) for wind speeds between 5-8 m/s (1 0-16 nm/h), and to 

50 m (164ft) for wind speeds above 8 m/s (16 nm/h). 

Note: In case of strong-wind conditions, the drone may drift even 

further than 50 m (164ft) away from the center of the Home waypoint 

when performing a Circular landing. Therefore, it is safer to plan for 

even more clearance in the downwind direction. 

By default, the Home waypoint is set to an altitude of 75 m/ATO (246 ft/ATO).In 

case a Go to Home Waypoint procedure is triggered during flight10 the drone will, 

by default, determine the highest altitude between its current altitude and the 

Home waypoint's altitude, and climb in a circle towards that highest altitude (if 

required). Once it reaches this highest altitude it will then fly towards the Home 

waypoint. 

Due to this behaviour, the altitude of the Home way point should be selected with 

care; it should be at least 20 m (66ft) higher than the surrounding obstacles to 

avoid the risk of a crash, but should not be set too high to reduce the effect of 

potentially high winds and altitude and to prevent the drone from getting lost. 

' see section 'Setup Phase tab' on page 125 10 either automatically due to an In-flight warning or manually using eMotion 

58 
i 

/ 

Executing a flight 

Alternatively, you can change the altitude transition behaviour within the Setup 

Phase tab. See section 'Waypoints and their properties' on page 80 for more information on altitude transition behaviours and how to modify them. 

4.4 Take-off 

Once you've planned your mission and the eBee RTK status LED is solid green you 

can launch it using the procedure on the following pages. 

Caution: Make sure to keep the propeller area free of all obstructions 

at all times during the launch procedure. 

status LED: green 

solid 

Step 1: Orient horizontally and against the wind 

Not horizontal! 

,.-

/ blue\ 

status LED: \pulse 1 _., 

Orient yourself against the direction of the wind, and confirm that the take-off 

direction in front of you is free of obstacles. Firmly grasp the drone with both 

hands, one hand on the front of each wing as shown in the figure. Hold the drone 

horizontally with the nose pointed against the wind and level wings. 

59 
) 

Quick start guide 

0 

/ 

/ 

Note: If the drone detects a condition that prevents correct take-off 

a Take-off veto will be displayed in eMotion and the status LED will 

start pulsing blue. Section Take-off vetoes' on page 172 describes 

the possible Take-off veto messages and the user action that should 

be taken to remove them. For example, if the drone is not oriented 

horizontally the status LED will start pulsing blue until you re-orient 

it horizontally, at which point the status LED turns solid green again. 

Caution: It is imperative to launch the drone directly against the 

wind, otherwise it will be unable to gain enough speed during takeoff and likely crash. Likewise, launching the drone in high winds 

above the specified safe wind speed of 12 m/s (23 nm/h) is dangerous 

and can result in a crash. 

~ake3x status LED: green 

solid 

shake 3x 

motor startup begin 

status LED: I --- blue" 

,pulse _, I 

Step 2: Switch the motor on 

Shake the eBee RTK back and forth 3 times longitudinally (within approx. 3 seconds) to begin the motor power-up sequence. The status LED will pulse blue until 

the motor is at full povver and ready for take-off. 

0 

60 

Note: You do not need to hurry to launch the drone. In case you want 

to shut off the motor, just repeat the back and forth action three times 

and the motor will stop. 
) 

Caution: always orient the eBee 

against the wind for take-off! 

Step 3: Launch the eBee RTK 

Executing a flight 

,-

1 blue\ status LED: Is 1 l \P~ _;. 

motor ready for take-off 

:9;;~~ .. status LED: \,blink) l ··---· 

place nose up 1 oo 

status LED: green 

solid 

step forward and release 

Once the motor is at full power the status LED will blink green. Orientate the drone 

with approximately 10 degrees nose up and level wings. When the angle is correct 

the status LED will turn solid green, indicating that the drone is ready for take-off. 

Launch the drone with a gentle push by walking 1-2 steps forward while releasing 

it with both hands in a purely forward motion. 

After take-off, the drone tries to maintain its initial direction, or follow the directional take-off heading you set, by keeping its wings level with full thrust until 

reaching the take-off transition altitude, by default 20m (66 ft) 11 • At this point, 

it will switch into waypoint navigation mode and fly towards the Start waypoint. 

Once it reaches the Start waypoint location and altitude the drone will circle around 

the waypoint 1-2 times to estimate the wind and calibrate its sensors before starting the mapping mission 12• 

11 see section 'Flight Parameters tab' on page 146 to change this parameter 12 The eBee RTK may also be programmed to wait at the Start waypoint for a command before starting 

its mapping mission. See section 'Setup Phase tab' on page 125 for more information. 

61 
Quick start guide 

Control Bar 

'\ 

' 

: '----·-

Wind speed and direction 

4.5 In-flight monitoring and control 

Flight Monitoring Tab 

I I 

_,_ ....... IJID.,..IIU'l ~ 

.,-::; ... -;- / .,-:. 

f----'------,------,---- Estimated --- Picture .. ,.,.... , Footprint 

·-==:- --: ]GNSS ! -· = :.. · Status • "~-: .. " ::! -

--- ... ....-,~> ... 

You can monitor and control your drone while in-flight through eMotion using the 

Map Area and the Flight Monitoring tab in the Sidebar. 

The Map Area displays the current position of your drone, updated live as the 

drone executes its flight A small arrow and infobox show the speed and direction of the wind as measured by the eBee RTK. The Status Panel that follows the 

position of the drone displays basic flight information including battery charge, 

flight time and altitude, both above the take-off location (ATO) and above mean 

sea-level (AMSL). This same information is reproduced in the Flight Monitoring 

tab, along with other useful flight data You can find GNSS status, level of accuracy, GNSS signal strength and the number of visible satellites in the Advanced 

instruments section at the bottom of this paneL 

62 
0 

Executing a flight 

Note: All waypoints, image locations and flight paths displayed in 

eMotion are a reflection of the data contained within the drone autopilot. If at any point the connection between eMotion and the 

drone is lost, the drone will by default continue its planned flight, 

including the imaging mission and the selected automatic landing, 

fully autonomously. If you would like the drone to return to the 

Home waypoint instead of continuing its mission when it detects 

a loss of connection you may set the appropriate parameter in the 

Flight Parameters tab, as described in section 'Flight Parameters tab' 

on page 146. 

During the Mission phase of the flight the eBee RTK will automatically take pictures at pre-defined moments based on the parameters that were defined during 

mission planning. The estimated area captured on the ground is displayed in the 

form of a continuously-updating polygon in the Map Area. 

0 Note: The eBee RTK will not take a picture unless it is in the correct location and altitude. Some reasons for not taking an image are 

strong head wind, large off-track distance or incorrect altitude. A corresponding message is displayed in the Status Panel if a picture is not 

taken. 

At the top ofthe Map Area is the Control Bar, which can be used at anytime to send 

commands to your drone as well as to acknowledge warning and failure messages 

if they occur. During a fully autonomous flight the eBee RTK will control its flight 

autonomously from take-off to landing and you do not need to use any of the control buttons. They can however be useful in unexpected situations to temporarily 

hold position by pressing the 'HOLD POSITION' button or to send the drone to 

the Home or Start waypoints with the 'GO TO HOME WPT' or 'GO TO START WPT' 

buttons, respectively. Alternatively, you can direct your drone to any location by 

right-clicking in the Map Area and using the contextual menu. We recommend 

you use the simulator to learn the effects of the buttons on the drone. Detailed 

descriptions of the buttons and their effects on the drone are described in section 

'Control Bar' on page 118. 

63 
j 

Quick start guide 

4.6 Landing 

After finishing a mapping mission the drone will, by default13, return to the Home 

waypoint and automatically initiate a landing sequence. During a Linear landing, 

the drone will land in a straight line according to the process described in section 

'Linear landing' on page 94. In case of a Circular landing the drone will land in a 

circle according to the process described in section The setup phase of a flight' 

on page 55. 

Disconnect the battery from the drone before picking it up. We recommend you 

immediately import the images and flight data after each flight (see section 'Obtaining your images and flight data' on page 66) before putting the eBee RTK back 

in its case for storage. When disconnecting the wings, be sure to pull gently in the 

axis of the wing struts to prevent damage to the wing struts. Check the wing struts 

for any damage before putting them into the storage case. Remove the propeller 

if you don't plan on using the eBee RTK for an extended period of time. 

4.7 Potential in-flight errors 

The drone can encounter two types of error messages while flying: In-flight warnings and Critical failures. In-flight warnings typically indicate a dangerous situation such as a low battery or strong winds and typically result in a Security action 

such as a return to the Home waypoint. In-flight warnings appear in blue or yellow 

in the Flight Monitoring tab. Critical failures occur only when the drone's ability to 

fly is severely compromised, such as a loss of GPS/GLONASS signals or an empty 

battery. The situation will be displayed in red in the Status section of the Flight 

Monitoring tab. When a critical failure arises, the drone will immediately perform 

an emergency landing. 

13 see section 'Setup Phase tab' on page 125 for information on changing the default behaviours of 

the drone 

64 
0 

Executing a flight 

Caution: We recommend that you familiarise yourself with the possible in-flight errors to have a better understanding of what happens 

if they occur in the field. A full list of possible In-flight warnings and 

Critical failures and the drone's reaction to them is described in section 'In-flight warnings' on page 174 and section 'Critical failures' on 

page 188. 

Note: It is important to keep track of the location of the drone during 

a Critical failure until the moment it reaches the ground. Its position's 

coordinates can aid in finding it afterwards. Instructions on how to 

find a lost drone can be found in section 'Losing and locating your 

eBee RTK in the field' on page 192. 

65 
Quick start guide 

5 Processing image data 

5.1 

Goal of this section: In this section you will learn how to obtain the 

images and flight data that your eBee RTK captured. 

You'll also learn to create basic mapping products directly in the field 

so that you can immediately gauge the quality of the images you 

gathered. 

High precision geotagging with the eBee RTK 

Both your eBee RTK and eMotion work exclusively in the WGS 84 reference frame: 

• Images taken by your eBee RTK are geotagged with the precise position 

of the drone when the image was taken. Geotags derived from GPS and 

GLONASS signals are recorded in the WGS 84 coordinate system. 

• Throughout eMotion, coordinates are displayed using the global WGS 84 

reference frame. When you enter coordinates in eMotion, as latitude, longitude and elevation, they are assumed to be in WGS 84. 

In order to create mapping products (for example, DSMs, orthomosaics) in Postflight Terra 30 that have their correct absolute positions with respect to your coordinate system, you must carry out a coordinate transformation: 

• Latitude and longitude are converted to x,y coordinates in your coordinate 

system. 

• Elevation (height above ellipsoid) is converted to absolute z coordinate by 

applying a vertical displacement constant, the Geoid-Ellipsoid Separation. 

5.2 Obtaining your images and flight data 

After completing a flight, use eMotion to obtain and treat the raw images and log 

files, readying them for processing with Postflight Terra 30. 

66 
Processing image data 

You will: 

1. Choose whether you want to complete the whole process or just part of it 

2. Tell eMotion which flight you want to treat 

3. Create a project folder into which eMotion will import the files after treatment 

4. Tell eMotion where to look for the images and log files 

5. Check that the images and logs it found are the ones you want 

6. Tell eMotion which RTK correction ties to use 

7. Choose the type of output you want 

8. Import and treat the files 

During its flight, the eBee RTK records flight data in a special Drone Flight Log file, 

stored on-board. In it, the drone logs important information such as sensor data, 

control inputs and its location. This file is needed to assign location information 

(geotags) to the images captured by the drone. 

A similar file, the eMotism Flight Log, is also created by eMotion during a flight. 

This serves as a backup in case the Drone Flight Log file cannot be recovered. 

0 Note: If there is an issue with your eBee RTK, the Drone Flight Log will 

be needed for technical support14• 

If you are using a GNSS/RTK base station, you may also need to import files from 

the base station and reference stations. 

eMotion features a Flight Data Manager to help you obtain and consolidate all the 

data generated during a mapping mission. 

14 see section 'Reporting a problem with your eBee RTK' on page 193 

67 
Quick start guide 

Importing and processing RTK data 

The way that eMotion processes RTK correction data depends on the way you set 

up your flight. 

If you used a local base station and entered its position into eMotion, as your 

eBee RTK was flying, eMotion was sending RTK corrections from the base station 

to the drone through the ground modem. Your drone was logging the precise 

coordinates of each image it took. 

If you used a local base station and didn't have its precise position, you have 

an extra post-flight processing step to do. eMotion will calculate the precise absolute position of your base station using the raw logs from your base station 

and the raw navigation and observation logs from your reference station. The 

precisely-measured position of your eBee RTK relative to your base station will 

then be corrected using this calculated absolute base station position to obtain 

high-precision absolute geo-tags for your images. 

If you used a virtual reference, your Ntrip stream provider will have automatically provided eMotion with precise virtual base station coordinates or linked eMotion to a fixed reference station. As your eBee RTK was flying, eMotion was sending 

RTK corrections, gathered from the Ntrip broadcast, to your drone and your drone 

was logging the precise coordinates of each image it took. 

If you flew your eBee RTK in standalone mode, you do not have any RTK corrections; all the flight data you need is stored on-board your drone. 

How To launch the Flight Data Manager 

68 

• Select the Flight Data Manager in the Connect dialog when you launch 

eMotion. 
) 

/ 

Processing image data 

·~ 

= 

select Flight 

.....,._,_ -------~-- Data Manager 

click OK 

• Click Qil on the Toolbar and choose 'Flight Data Manager ... : 

5.3 How to import images and data from the drone 

• Step 1 a- Select a flight 

If the flight was monitored from the computer onto which you are importing drone images and data, it will have been logged in the flight database 

on that computer. Select the date that the flight took place. A list of flights 

(including number of images taken) monitored using the computer on that 

date appears in the pull-down menu below the calendar. Choose the one 

you wish to treat. 

The flight's trajectory will appear in the Map Area. 

• Step 1 b - Create a project folder 

Choose a folder name that uniquely identifies your flight (e.g. the date, the 

name of the area, etc.). 

69 
) 

\ 

) 

Quick start guide 

70 

• Step 2- Prepare for the import 

First, let eMotion read the Drone Flight Log: 

1. Connect the supplied USB cable to the eBee RTK's autopilot, marked 

Q. 

2. Connect the battery to the drone if it is not already connected. 

3. The status LED will shine white and a new storage drive will appear 

on your computer. 

Then get the images ready: 

- Remove the SO card from the camera, insert it into the SO card reader 

of your computer and choose to import from the SO card from the 

pull-down menu. 

- Alternatively, transfer the images from the camera. Lift it out of its 

compartment just enough to connect a USB cable to it and power it 

on. Copy all the images into a temporary folder on your computer. 

Choose to import from a folder in the pull-down menu and choose 

that temporary folder. 
\. 

) 

Processing image data 

• Step 3- Check flight logs 

Confirm that the Drone and eMotion Flight Logs found by the Flight Data 

Manager are correct. You may select logs manually if they are not correctly 

detected. 

• Step 4- Check images 

Confirm thatthe images corresponding to yourflightwerefound and matched 

to the Drone Flight Log correctly. 

• Step 5 -Import RTK correction files 

0 Note: You will only see this step if you used a local base station. 

If your base station was positioned over a known point 

Choose The base station was placed on a known point and click Next. 

0 

0 

Note: If you need to, you can carry out post processing and use corrected coordinates from the base station instead of the measured 

point that you selected before the flight. Choose Post process base 

station position. 

Note: If required, you can adjust the coordinates of the point manually. Choose Enter the true position of the base station. 

If your base station's position was unknown 

You must correct the coordinates obtained from the base station. You can do this 

in the following ways: 

• eMotion has automatically logged, in RTCM format, the correction data that 

it passed from your base station to your drone. The path to this RTK Log is 

entered for you in the eMotion correction log field. You can use the RTKLIB 

algorithms built in to eMotion to process this data. 

71 
) 

l 

./ 

Quick start guide 

72 

• You can process the RINEX-format correction file from your base station using eMotion's built-in RTKLIB algorithms. Note that eMotion can also process To peon TPS-format files. 

• You can process your base station logs outside eMotion using another software tool, then enter the results into eMotion. eMotion will geo-tag your 

images using these results. 

0 

0 

Note: eMotion logs the RTCM stream from the moment you choose 

the RTK source. Your base station, however, logs the stream from the 

moment it is switched on. The occupation time if you use your base 

station's logs rather than eMotion's logs may therefore be longer, giving you better post processing results. 

Note: Check your base station manufacturer's documentation to 

make sure that your occupation time is sufficient for the base line 

length and manufacturer model you are working with . 

1. If you wish to post process using eMotion, choose Post process base station 

position and go to step 2. 

If you have processed base station logs outside eMotion, choose Enter the 

true position of the base station, enterthe coordinates and click Next. 

2. To use the correction data that eMotion has logged, leave eMotion correction log (RTCM) as the input file format. 

If you wish to process your base station's logs using eMotion, choose your 

base station log's format (Rinex or To peon TPS) from the Input file format 

pulldown menu then on the next line (Base Rinex or Base Topcon), enter 

the path to your base station logs, or click Browse to locate the file. 

3. Enter the path to your reference station RINEX observation and navigation 

files, or click Browse to locate the files. 

eMotion will read the reference station files and try find out which reference 

station antenna you used. 
J 

Processing image data 

4. If you need to, choose a reference station antenna from the pulldown, or 

change the one that eMotion proposes. 

5. If you need to, modify the reference station antenna offsets. 

Once complete, click Next to continue. 

eMotion will carry out post processing oft he raw rapid static survey GNSS data you 

provided and show the result on the next screen. The degree of success depends 

on a number of factors including occupation time and base line length. eMotion 

will display one of the following messages below the result: 

OK: Precise position obtained 

The raw GNSS data could be processed and the base line length and cumulative 

occupation time were sufficient to obtain a precise base position. 

Warning: Position may remain imprecise 

Although the raw GNSS data could be processed, the combination of base line 

length and cumulated occupation time may not have been enough to obtain a 

precise base position. 

Failed: Position is incorrect 

Although valid raw GNSS data was provided, it was unsuitable and the calculated 

base position is incorrect. The reference data may have fallen outside the time 

frame of your mission or come from an unsuitable reference station. 

Error 

eMotion could not process the raw GNSS files. They may be corrupted or in a format that eMotion cannot process, or there has been an error. 

• Step 6 - Select outputs 

Choose the actions to execute and outputs to create: 

- Only uncheck the first checkbox if you are sure you do not need to 

geo-tag your images. Geotagging images is necessary to create geoinfo, 

KML and Postflight Terra 30 files. 

73 
) 

Quick start guide 

- Check the checkbox and choose a file format if you wish to export a 

geoinfo file. This file contains latitude, longitude, altitude (AMSL and 

WGS 84), heading, pitch and roll values for each image captured. 

- Only uncheck the checkbox if you do not want to create a Postflight 

Terra 30 project. 

- Only uncheck the checkbox if you do not want to create a KML file 

containing the 3D flight trajectory. 

• Step 7- Execute the import and processing 

Click Next to execute the import and processing you have set up. 

• Step 8- Finish off and tidy up 

You may now disconnect the drone. Use your computer's Eject function to 

eject the SD card and the drive created for the drone before removing the 

SD card and unplugging the USB cable. Disconnect the battery and USB 

cable from the drone. Insert the SO-card back into the camera, put it back 

properly into its compartment and ensure that it is turned off. 

You are ready to open the KML file in Goog/e EarthTM or the project in Postflight Terra 30 for further processing. 

5.4 In-field image quality check 

Postflight Terra 30 software15, available as a free download with the eBee RTK package, can be used to rapidly create a Quality Report directly in the field. The Quality 

Report that is automatically generated as well as the orthomosaic provide immediate feedback on the quality of the images gathered during your mission. 

You can open a project for processing in Postflight Terra 30 directly from the Flight 

Data Manager after importing your data by clicking the 'Open project in Terra' 

button. You will now see the main Postflight Terra 30 window. The position of 

your images will appear as red dots in the Map Area of Postflight Terra 30. 

15 powered by Pix4D; see section 'Installing eMotion, Postflight Terra 30, and the ground modem 

drivers' on page 24 for installation instructions 

74 
) 

/ 

Processing image data 

Automatic Reconstruction 

c=~I-~-~-------~-~~~~~~~~~=~J~ 

Step 1: select 1. Initial Processing, 

Rapid Check Step 2: click 'Start' 

Tool bar 

Project 

Summary 

Layers 

Local 

Processing 

panel 

To create a Quality Report while in the field bring up the local processing panel by 

selecting 'Local processing' from the 'Process' menu or by clicking the icon in 

the Toolbar. Select only the 'Initial project processing' checkbox and the 'Rapid' 

button. If you wish to create a low-resolution orthomosaic while generating the 

report, check the 'Orthomosaic and DSM generation' checkbox. Click 'Start' to 

begin rapid processing. 

Postflight Terra 30 will now process the data and produce a report that includes 

the overall completeness and georeference quality of the images taken during 

your last mission. You may use this information to decide whether further imaging flights are required while you are still in the field. The quality report will be 

displayed in a new window (click the icon in the Tool bar if it does not appear). 

75 
.. ) 

Quick start guide 

5.5 Creating advanced mapping products 

Beyond Quality Reports and low-resolution orthomosaics, Postflight Terra 30 can 

generate geo-referenced high-resolution 20 orthomosaics, 30 point clouds, triangle models and OSMs or export to common third-party photogrammetry software such as Bingo, Orima or lnpho. Postflight Terra 30 also includes a mosaic and 

a rayCioud editor, giving you more control on the quality of your final mapping 

products, as well as measurement tools. 

The resulting orthomosaic and OSM may then be imported as custom background 

map and elevation data layers in eMotion16• This data can be used for advanced 

flight planning in complex or uneven terrain. 

5.6 

Note: You need to either enable tile set generation OR choose Generate Google Maps Tiles and KML from the Process menu before you 

can push the tileset into eMotion by choosing Send Map to eMotion 

from the Process menu. Alternatively, this data can be imported into 

eMotion; choose Import custom map from eMotion's liil File menu. 

Note: The best way to learn how to use the various features of Postflight Terra 3D is to look at the comprehensive online Knowledge Base 

within my.senseFiy17 

Transforming coordinates 

First, set up the latitude/longitude to x/y transformation ... 

If you are using a established coordinate system: 

Step 1 Choose Select Output Coordinate System from the Postflight Terra 30 Project 

16 see section 'Toolbar' on page 113 for more information on importing layers into eMotion 17 http://my.sensefly.com 

76 
\ 

) 

Processing image data 

menu. 

Step 2 If you know the coordinate system name, click From List and choose the 

one you want. 

If you know the EPSG code of your coordinate system, click From EPSG 

and choose the code you want. 

If you have the .prj coordinate system syntax file, click From .prj, browse 

to the location of your file, select the file and click Open. 

Step 3 Click OK on the Select Output Coordinate System dialog. 

Step 4 Postflight Terra 30 will create mapping products in the established coordinate system you chose. 

To use a custom local coordinate system: 

Step 1 

Step2 

Step3 

Step4 

StepS 

Obtain or create a coordinate system syntax file (with extension .prj). 

See Knowledge Base article number 73776018 for help with .prj file creation. 

Choose Select Output Coordinate System from the Postflight Terra 30 Project 

menu. 

Click From .prj, browse to the location of your .prj file, select the file and 

click Open. 

In the Select Output Coordinate System dialog, click OK. 

Postflight Terra 30 will create mapping products in your custom coordinate system. 

Next, convert height above ellipsoid to altitude (z) ... 

Step 1 Choose Image Properties Editor from the Postflight Terra 30 Project menu. 

Step 2 In the Image Coordinate System section, enter the Geoid Height Above 

the Ellipsoid and click OK. 

77 
\ 

I 

) 

Quick start guide 

Step 3 Postflight Terra 30 will create mapping products with a vertical displacement to match your coordinate system's altitude. 

78 
Part II 

Advanced functionalities 
Advanced functionalities 

6 Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee RTK 

6.1 

Goal ofthis section: Aerial mapping using the eBee RTK is designed 

to be simple and fully automatic, requiring very little input from the 

user. Understanding the basics of aerial navigation, however, can 

help you map more complex terrain and yield higher quality results. 

This section explains the basics of waypoint-based navigation and 

the control strategies used by the drone for flight. 

Waypoints and their properties 

The eBee RTK uses a flight plan consisting of a list of waypoints to navigate. A 

waypoint essentially consists of a circle about a given position and information 

that defines how the drone should behave when reaching them. The entire list 

of waypoints is stored in the drone autopilot and can be remotely edited using 

eMotion. 

+'I?'! dills J ~- I ':,_...__.., 

Direct· -I- ton 1 

: Altitude: 

: Above Take-off location (m/ ATO) 

I OR I 

1 Above Mean Sea Level (m/AMSL) 

T Position (GPS coordinates) 

In eMotion every waypoint is defined by the following parameters: 

• ID: Every mission waypoint has a unique ID, beginning at 1. The eBee RTK 

80 
Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee RTK 

can store up to 50 mission waypoints. Setup phase waypoints (Start and 

Home) do not have an I D. 

• Active: Indicates whether the waypoint is active or not. Deactivating a 

waypoint by clicking the checkbox beside its ID will remove it from the current flight plan. Setup phase waypoints (Start and Home) cannot be deactivated. 

• Current: A status that indicates if the waypoint is currently being circled 

or navigated toward (indicated by>< around the waypoint's I D). Only one 

waypoint is marked Current at a time. 

• Change altitude: This parameter defines the way the drone transitions to 

the altitude of the current waypoint. 

- During transit: The drone will fly in the direction of the current waypoint while simultaneously changing altitude by climbing or descending in a linear fashion. If the required climb or descent rate is beyond physical limits, the drone will reach the destination and keep 

climbing/descending around the destination waypoint. This is typically used to achieve the best efficiency when the altitude between 

waypoints is not constrained. 

- Before transit: The drone will first climb or descend at its current 

position until it reaches the altitude of the current waypoint, and then 

fly in the direction oft he waypoint at its altitude. This is typically used 

for 3D mapping. 

- Keep highest: The drone will first determine whether its current altitude orthe current waypoint's altitude is highest. lfthe drone's current altitude is highest, it will first fly towards the waypoint and then 

descent to the waypoint's altitude in a circular fashion. If the current 

waypoint's altitude is highest, the drone will begin by climbing at its 

current position until it reaches the waypoint's altitude and then fly 

towards the waypoint. This is typically useful to avoid hitting the terrain in mountainous landscapes and, in particular, for the Home waypoint when the mission altitude is below the take-off location. 

81 
Advanced functionalities 

• Altitude: The altitude of the waypoint above the altitude reference. The 

waypoint is considered 'reached' only when the drone starts circling about 

it at the waypoint's altitude. 

• Altitude reference: The reference point of the Altitude value. When set to 

m/ATO, the Altitude value is an Above Take-off (ATO) altitude. When set to 

ml AMSL, the Altitude value is a Above Mean Sea Level (AMSL). The altitudes 

of Setup phase waypoints (Start and Home) are always set to m/ ATO. 

• Turn direction: The direction with which the drone circles around the waypoint (clockwise or counter-clockwise). 

• Radius: The distance at which the drone circles around the waypoint. 

0 Note: The eBee RTK has a limited turning radius. Setting this parameter lower than 20 m (66ft) may cause the drone to significantly deviate from its desired flight path. 

• Auto-next: Indicates whether the drone should remain on the waypoint 

upon reaching it (until a new command is received) or automatically continue to the next active waypoint. 

• Action: The action (if any) to be performed upon reaching the waypoint. 

Supported actions include starting and stopping Continuous photo mode18• 

Setup phase parameters (Start and Home) do not have associated Actions. 

• Position (coordinates): The precise latitude and longitude of the centre 

of the waypoi nt. 

Waypoints are represented in the Map Area as circles with their actual radius and 

an arrow to indicate their direction. The flight path of the drone around and in 

between waypoints is drawn as a line of varying opacity; the path ahead of the 

drone's current position is dark, becoming lighter the further it is from the current 

position in the flight plan. The path already traversed is a uniform light colour. 

18 see section 'Camera tab' on page 141 

82 
Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee RTK 

If a waypoint's Auto-next parameter is disabled, the path directly after it will be 

dashed, indicating that a command must be sent for the flight to continue. 

Clicking a waypoint in the Map Area will display its characteristics (waypoint ID 

for mission waypoints or name for setup waypoints, altitude, radius and action) 

and will select it for modification. It will also activate the Mission Waypoints tab 

and highlight the selected waypoint. 

Future 

flight path 

Flight path 

altitude 

I 

Inactive Selected 

fl;ght P'th w'~ 

"'.!!"'""''"•••••••••••••••~l-10fit/ATO-••••••••••••••••••o• ,--

j s I , llOm/ATO: 

/i "HfMit/AT€1 ~~) 

llOm/ATO 

506m/MSL 

/~~.::~:._" ( !I!I!I!I'Jo 2:17 ~~----__;._., • t· ,·-j-' L_-_, :m/ATO 

Current status Traversed flight path 

You can modify the waypoint's parameters directly in the Map Area using your 

mouse using the following actions: 

• Position: Change the position by left-clicking on the waypoint and dragging it around on the map. By default the waypoint snaps to a position inline with the current flight lines before and after the waypoint. Hold down 

the 'Ait' button while dragging to disable the snapping feature. 

• Turn direction: Hold down the 'Shift' button while left-clicking on a waypoint to toggle its turn direction. 

• Radius: Modify the radius by left-clicking on the waypoint's perimeter and 

dragging it. 

83 
' \ 

Advanced functionalities 

• Altitude: Hold down the 'Ctrl' button while left-clicking on the waypoint 

and moving the mouse up or down to increase or decrease the altitude of 

the waypoint, respectively. 

• Create newwaypoint: Right-click anywhere in the Map Area that does not 

contain a symbol to bring up the context menu, then select 'Add waypoint 

here' to add a new waypoint. 

• Context menu: Right-click on a waypoint to bring up the context menu. 

You can then select the following options: 

- Go to: Select while the drone is in flight to make this the current destination waypoint. 

- Auto-next: Toggle the Auto-next parameter of the waypoint. 

- Reverse turn direction: Toggle the Turn direction parameter of the 

waypoint. 

- Change altitude: Set the transition behaviour of the drone when 

flying towards the selected waypoint. 

- Remove waypoint: Remove the selected waypoint. 

Any modification will be sent directly to the drone to update its on-board waypoint list. If the message is not acknowledged by the drone (for example due to 

a temporary loss of communication link), the waypoint will move back to its previous position on the map to accurately reflect the current waypoint list status 

within the drone's autopilot. 

0 

84 

Note: Modification of flight plan parameters can cause the drone to 

react in unexpected ways. In particular, the drone may have trouble 

following its flight path when the radius is set very low or if there 

is high wind. We highly encourage you to test your entire flight plan 

using the simulator to get familiar with the drone's behaviours before 

going out into the field. 
Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee RTK 

6.2 Advanced polygonal mission area 

The mission area defines the area of interest where the eBee RTK will take photos. It appears as a grey rectangle when you select the 'Mission planning' tab and 

to calculate the flight plan of the drone. For many cases the rectangular-shaped 

mission area provides the simplest way to quickly create a flight plan. It can be 

modified as described in section 'The mission phase of a flight' on page 30. 

For more complex areas eMotion has the option of using polygonal-shaped missions areas. Begin by converting a rectangular area into a polygonal area by setting the 'Mission area' type to 'Polygonal' in the 'Mission planning' tab or by rightclicking on the area and selecting 'Convert to polygon: 

A polygonal mission area is set slightly differently than a rectangular mission area: 

• The edges of the rectangle now become vertices of the polygon. Left-click 

on a vertex to drag and reposition the vertex. 

• Left-click and drag anywhere on the edge of the polygon to create a new 

vertex and reposition it. 

• Right-click on vertex and select 'Remove vertex' to remove a vertex. Alternatively, hold down the 'Ctrl' button and left-click on a vertex to remove 

it. 

• Left-click and drag on the dark-grey area within the polygon to reposition 

the entire polygon. 

• Left-click and drag the circle on the corner of the light-grey rectangle surrounding the polygon to rotate the direction of the resulting flight lines. 

You may also set a polygonal mission area directly from a KML file containing a 

polygon, such as those created by Google EarthTM. Simply click on the 0 icon in 

the 'Mission planning' tab, select 'Load mission area from KML file' and choose a 

KML file that contains the desired polygon. 

85 
Advanced functionalities 

6.3 30 mission planning using elevation data 

eMotion has the ability to take into account elevation data to set the altitude of 

mission waypoints and the resulting flight lines of a mapping mission. This not 

only improves the resulting ground resolution but also increases mission safety 

(particularly in uneven terrain) by keeping a more even height between the drone 

and the ground. 

You can display elevation data by clicking on the~ button in the Toolbar. eMotion's default Improved SRTM elevation data will be downloaded as tiles from 

senseFiy's servers and overlaid above the map as a colourmap19• You can adjust 

the scale and opacity of the colourmap by using the associated buttons in the 

bottom-right corner of the Map Area. 

Auto-adjust colormap Elevation colourmap I Change opacity l I I __ 90 1BO 2:70 360 

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Caution: eMotion's default Improved SRTM elevation data uses a 3 

arc-second (approx. 90 m (295ft) resolution) digital elevation model 

derived from the SRTM (Shuttle Radar Topography Mission) dataset 

version 2.1 combined with other data sources (ASTER GDEM, SRTM30, 

cartographic data, etc.). This data covers nearly all emerged land except the territories below 56° S latitude and the territory of the Russian Federation above 60° N latitude. This data may contain inaccuracies of several meters, and does not contain data on obstacles 

such as buildings or trees. We highly recommend that you check your 

flight plan thoroughly in Google EarthTM and ensure sufficient clearance between the flight plan and the ground. SenseFiy Ltd provides 

no guarantee regarding the accuracy of the elevation data and it is 

the operator's sole responsibility to ensure a safe flight trajectory and 

altitude. 

19 eMotion must be connected to the internet_ Once downloaded, elevation tiles are cached and can 

then be used off-line_ 

86 
Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee RTK 

Activate the 30 mission planning feature by selecting the 'Use elevation data to 

set absolute way point altitudes' parameter in the 'Mission Planning' tab. Elevation 

data is used to adjust every mission waypoint altitude as follows: 

1. The flight planner uses elevation data to find the maximal terrain elevation 

under the current waypoint, the previous waypoint and the flight line that 

connects the two. 

2. This maximum value is increased by the target altitude value, and the result 

is set as the altitude of the current waypoint. 

The altitude of every waypoint can always be manually adjusted in the Mission 

Waypoints tab. By default, the 'Change altitude' parameter for the first mission 

waypoint is set to 'Keep highest: For all other mission waypoints the 'Change altitude' parameter is set to 'Before transit' so that the drone climbs or descends to 

the altitude of the next waypoint (and thus the next flight line) before transiting 

and taking pictures. 

It is important to understand that even if each flight line can have a different altitude, the altitude is constant along a given flight line. If the terrain altitude is 

uneven along a flight line, the resulting imagery will have varying ground resolution and overlap. When the mission planner computes the altitudes of flight lines 

it tries to ensure that the required amount of overlap is achieved, possibly leading to a lower ground resolution in some areas. During flight planning the range 

of ground resolution computed by the mission planner is displayed. For optimal 

results, it is best to set the orientation of the flight lines as parallel as possible to 

the terrain's contour lines. 

One way to increase the resolution and accuracy of the elevation data is to fly a 

first mission at high altitude and then create a dataset using Postflight Terra 30. 

You can then automatically import the data into eMotion by selecting 'Send DSM 

to eMotion' from the 'Process' menu within Postflight Terra 30. The dataset can 

then be enabled using the~ menu in the Toolbar. eMotion will use this custom 

dataset (wherever it is available) to set waypoint altitudes instead of its default 

Improved SRTM elevation data. 

87 
\ 

) 

Advanced functionalities 

0 Note: It is recommended to visually compare imported elevation 

datasets with the default Improved SRTM elevation layer of eMotion 

in order to detect possible mismatches. This comparison should be 

done with a colourmap opacity value of 1 00%. 

More advanced controls of imported datasets are available in the 'Elevation data' 

panel of the Preferences pane of the tiiil menu. From this panel you can add, 

remove, activate/deactivate or reorder overlays. eMotion uses the top-most elevation data layer to calculate altitude for each waypoint and flight line, with 

eMotion's default Improved SRTM elevation dataset always considered the bottom layer. 

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6.4 Flight visualization in Google EarthTM 

eMotion includes an interface with Goog/e EarthTM to help with flight plan verification and visualization, particularly in uneven terrain. Clicking on the~ button 

in the Tool bar will open Goog/e EarthTM and zoom to the current position of the 

drone. The current position of drone, its planned trajectory, the working area circle and all waypoints currently uploaded to the drone (including Take-Off, Start 

88 
) 

Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee RTK 

and Home) are displayed within Google EarthTM. Any changes to waypoints or 

flight parameters within eMotion are updated accordingly within Google EarthTM. 

The interface with Goog/e EarthTM is particularly useful to check the drone's trajectory with respect to obstacles in the area20. The flight plan is projected onto the 

ground in a darker colour, giving you an idea of the distance between the flight 

path and the ground. If you connect to a simulated drone you can simulate the 

entire flight and follow the drone within Goog/e EarthTM. 

0 Note: To use this feature Goog/e EarthTM has to be installed on the 

ground station PC, as described in section 'Installing eMotion, Postflight Terra 30, and the ground modem drivers' on page 24. We recommend to use the latest version of the Google EarthTM software. 

Caution: A flight trajectory visualized in Google EarthTM represents 

the planned trajectory. The real flight trajectory can be different from 

the planned due to flight conditions such as strong wind. 

Caution: The terrain data within Google EarthTM, including hills and 

buildings, may contain significant errors. When planning flights over 

uneven terrain be sure to keep sufficient distance between the flight 

plan and the terrain. 

20 While checking flight plans in Google EarthTM is a good safety practice, senseFiy Ltd provides no 

guarantee regarding the accuracy and completeness of the Google EarthTM terrain model. 

89 
) 

) 

Advanced functionalities 

6.5 Autonomous controller and modes of flight 

Autonomous operation modes 

and release 

Manual and emergency modes 

if 'Wait on Start 

automatically after 

2 complete circles 

after mission' 

is enabled 

During a typical flight the autonomous controller on the eBee RTK will switch between various modes depending on its flight plan and the commands that it receives from the Control Bar1

• The controller changes between modes during a 

typical mission as shown in the figure above, and as described in more detail in 

the following list: 

• After being switched on and running pre-flight checks the drone will enter 

Idle mode until it is ready to be launched. Shaking the drone back and forth 

21 see section 'Control Bar' on page 118 for details on the Control Bar 

90 
Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee RTK 

three times initiates the take-off procedure22 and changes to the Take-off 

mode. 

• After take-off the drone climbs with level wings23, gaining altitude until it 

reaches the take-off transition altitude, by default 20m (66 ft) 24 above the 

take-off location. At this point the drone heads for the Start waypoint and 

changes to Circle Start Waypoint mode. 

• Once it reaches the Start waypoint, the drone circles the waypoint several 

times to estimate the strength of the wind. Once it calculates the estimated 

wind the drone either: 

- heads towards the first mission waypoint, if 'Start mission' is selected 

in the 'After take-off' panel of the Setup Phase tab, and changes to 

Perform Mission mode. 

- continues circling the Start waypoint until a command is received 

from the Control Bar (typically a 'START MISSION' command that is 

sent once a flight plan is finalized). 

• While in Perform Mission mode the drone flies between all enabled mission 

waypoints, taking images of the ground below. Once it reaches the final 

mission way point the drone either: 

- heads towards the Home waypoint, if 'Land' or 'Go to Home waypoint' is selected in the 'After mission' panel of the Setup Phase tab, 

and changes to Circle Home Waypoint mode. 

- heads towards the Start waypoint, if 'Go to Start waypoint' is selected 

in the 'After mission' panel of the Setup Phase tab, and changes to 

Circle Start Waypoint mode. 

- heads towards the first mission waypoint, if 'Restart mission' is selected in the 'After mission' panel of the Setup Phase tab, and remains 

in Perform Mission mode. 

21 as described in section 'Take-off' on page 59 23 or in a given direction when using the Directional take-off feature described in section 'Setup Phase 

tab' on page 125 24 see section 'Flight Parameters tab' on page 146 for details on changing this altitude 

91 
\ 

/ 

Advanced functionalities 

• Once it reaches the Home waypoint (if in Circle Home Waypoint mode) the 

drone will either: 

- begin a Linear landing procedure (as described in section 'Linear landing' on page 94) and change to Linear Landing mode, if 'Land' is selected in the 'After mission' list and 'Linear landing' is selected in the 

Landing type list of the Setup Phase tab. 

- begin a Circular landing procedure and change to Circular Landing 

mode, if 'Land' is selected in the 'After mission' list and 'Circular landing' is selected in the Landing type list of the Setup Phase tab. 

- circles the Home way point and remains in Circle Home Waypoint mode 

until a command is sent. 

• After completing a landing procedure and detecting that it has successfully 

landed, the drone changes to Idle mode. 

• Turning on the remote control will cause the drone to enter either Assisted 

Manual or Full Manual mode, depending on the setting in the Flight Parameters tab2

s. Turning off the remote control will return the drone to its 

previous mode. 

• Clicking the 'HOLD POSITION' button in the Control Bar at any time will 

cause the drone to start circling its current position and change to Hold 

Position mode until it receives a new command from the Control Bar. Alternatively, right-clicking in the Map Area and selecting 'Hold here' will direct 

the drone towards the selected position and then circle around that position in Hold Position mode. This mode is also enabled automatically after 

certain In-flight warning or Critical failure conditions26• 

• Clicking the 'LAND NOW' button in the Control Bar three times in quick succession will cause the drone to initiate a Circular landing procedure at its 

25 see section 'Manual control of the eBee RTK' on page 150 for information on the various manual 

control modes 26 see section 'Troubleshooting' on page 168 for a full list of In-flight warning and Critical failure conditions and the subsequent reactions of the drone 

92 
Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee RTK 

current location with its motor disabled and change to Emergency Landing mode. 

93 
Advanced functionalities 

6.6 Linear landing 

A typical Linear landing follows these steps: 

94 

1. The eBee RTK flies towards the Home waypoint (defined by the user within 

eMotion; default altitude is 75 m (246ft) above the landing altitude). The altitude change behaviour between the current location and the Home waypoint depends on the 'Altitude change' parameter of the Home waypoint. 

By default, it is defined as 'Keep highest; which means that the drone will 

fly at the highest altitude between its current altitude and the Home waypoint's altitude, climbing in a spiral first if needed. 

2. Once the Home waypoint is reached the drone circles the waypoint and 

descends to a fixed altitude of 75 m (246ft) above the landing altitude. 

3. The drone circles to estimate the wind speed and direction. An approach direction is then calculated as close to the upwind direction as possible within 

the allowable approach sectors (defined by the user within eMotion). 

4. The drone flies downwind against the approach direction. After flying for 

a sufficient distance it turns around to align itself with the approach direction. 

5. The drone glides down in the approach direction at a controlled speed and 

descent angle of approximately 20°, braking by spinning its propeller in 

reverse if necessary. 

6. When the drone detects a height of around 20 m (66ft) to the ground it 

begins to level out its descent. 

7. When the drone detects a height of around 3 m (10ft) to the ground it 

performs a final brake to reduce its speed and lifts its nose. 

8. The drone then glides for the final few metres in a deep stall until it lands. 
Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee RTK 

Linear landing procedure, seen from the side 

' Lan~ing location 

below'Home waypoint 

7. Final brake : L 

at 3m 

8. Deep stall 

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Linear landing procedure, seen from above within eMotion 2 

95 
Advanced functionalities 

The Linear landing process uses an optical-based sensor to detect the proximity 

of the ground. A number of conditions on the environment and the positions of 

the Home waypoint and approach sectors must be met in order for the ground 

sensor to function correctly and ensure the accuracy of the Linear landing: 

96 

• If the Linear landing location is not at the same altitude as the Take-off location you must adjust the Landing altitude parameter in the 'Setup Phase' 

tab, as the drone uses this altitude to level out and slow down before landing (Steps 6-8). Enable the 'Land at a different altitude than take-off' checkbox and set the altitude as an absolute value in AMSL. 

0 Note: When 'Land at a different altitude than take-off' is enabled the 

Home waypoint's altitude will be converted to AMSL instead of ATO 

(by default 75 m (246ft) above the landing location). 

Caution: Incorrectly setting the altitude of the Linear landing location will decrease the accuracy of the Linear landing and may result 

in damage to the eBee RTK. 

• A Linear landing can only be performed over flat terrain. Ensure that the 

ground is flat and at the same altitude as the Linear landing location for a 

distance of at least 100 m (328ft) from the Linear landing location within 

every approach sector. It is also recommended to have flat terrain in the opposite direction of every approach sector in case a Linear landing is aborted 

in its final stages. 

Caution: Attempting a Linear landing on sloped terrain, the top of 

a roof or the edge of a cliff or any other terrain that is not flat will 

likely result in false detection of the height above the ground during 

the approach and may result in damage to the eBee RTK.ln particular, 

landing downhill may cause a large overshoot and should always be 

avoided. 
) 

Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee RTK 

• Ensure that there are no obstacles within 60 m (197ft) of the Linear landing location within all approach sectors and within a radius of 10m (33ft) 

around the Linear landing location. If there are some obstacles in the distance, ensure that the top of the obstacles is at no more than a 15° angle 

from the point 60 m (197ft) from the Linear landing location, as indicated 

in the figure on page 95. It is also recommended to not have any obstacles 

in the opposite direction of all approach sectors, in case the Linear landing 

is aborted before completion. 

Caution: It is not recommended to perform Linear landings between 

tall obstacles, as they may disturb the GPS/GLONASS signals your 

eBee RTK needs to be able to navigate. 

• In order to limit the ground speed when landing and to achieve the best 

landing accuracy, the eBee RTK should only perform a Linear landing against 

the direction of the wind. Approach sectors should be as large as possible 

and in as many directions as possible to allow the drone to select the optimal approach direction based on its estimate of the wind. If all of the available approach sectors are in the direction of the wind an In-flight warning27 

will appear in eMotion when the drone calculates its trajectory (Step 3). 

Caution: If the drone performs a Linear landing in the direction of the 

wind during strong wind conditions or with certain In-flight warnings 

or Critical failures it may not be able to slow enough during its descent. It will likely overshoot the Home waypoint location and land 

at a high speed, potentially resulting in damage. 

• The ground sensor must have sufficient light and texture to accurately detect the height above the ground. Ensure that the ground sensor lens is 

clear of dirt or other obstructions. Only attempt Linear landings in full daylight conditions. Ensure that there is high-contrast surfaces in all the ap27 see section 'In-flight warnings' on page 174 

97 
Advanced functionalities 

proach sectors. Do not define approach sectors over low-texture surfaces 

such as large bodies of water, snow or sand. 

• During a Linear landing the drone requires sufficient energy to slow down 

its descent and perform its final brake (Steps 5-7). If the Linear landing option is active and the battery descends below 20% an In-flight warning will 

appea~8 in eMotion. 

To enable Linear landing select 'Linear landing' from the 'Setup Phase' tab. A single approach sector appears around the Home waypoint. Rotate and resize the 

approach sector to define the directions around the Home waypoint that are completely clear of obstacles. You can add additional approach sectors from within 

the 'Setup Phase' tab. These approach sectors will be used by the drone to plan its 

landing path while taking into account the wind. Defining multiple possible approach sectors can increase the chance that the drone selects a favourable landing 

against the direction of the wind. Be sure that there are also no obstacles in a 10m 

(33ft) radius circle around the Home waypoint, as the Linear landing process may 

be effected by wind or positioning imprecision of the on-board GNSS receiver. 

J 

28 see section 'In-flight warnings' on page 174 

98 
I 

/ 

0 

Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee RTK 

Note: The eBee RTK's ground sensor can typically begin detecting 

ground proximity at a distance of 40 m (131 ft). If the drone reaches 

an estimate altitude of 20m/ ATO (66ft/ ATO)- as estimated using the 

on-board GNSS receiver and pressure sensor - without a signal on 

its ground sensor it assumes there is a malfunction with the ground 

sensor. This may be due to insufficient light or contrast in the environment, dirt on the sensor's lens assembly or a Linear landing location at a different altitude than the Take-off Location. In this case 

the drone performs the braking and stall manoeuvre at an altitude of 

20m (66ft) instead of3 m (1Oft). This increased time while stalled can 

greatly reduce the accuracy of the final landing position and damage 

to the drone. 

If the Linear landing process is aborted (by clicking on the 'ABORT LANDING' button in the Control Bar) before completion the drone will turn on its motor in full 

thrust and gain altitude while continuing in a straight line in its approach direction. Once the altitude of 40 m/ATO (131 ft/ATO) is reached the drone will turn 

towards the Home waypoint and continue climbing until it reaches an altitude of 

75 m/ATO (246 ft/ATO).It then continues circling until it receives a further command. 

Caution: Do not abort a Linear landing if there are obstacles in the 

approach direction behind the Home location, as the drone will continue flying in a straight line after an abort sequence while it gains 

altitude and may collide with those obstacles. 

Caution: It is not recommended to abort a Linear landing when the 

battery is low, as the drone may not have enough power to attempt 

a second landing. 

99 
Advanced functionalities 

6.7 Flying multiple drones at the same time 

Operating multiple drones at the same time enables the coverage of larger areas 

in a shorter amount of time. This can be useful when the mission time must be 

kept short, for example because of varying lighting conditions. To enable multidrone operation eMotion provides the following: 

• When more than one drone is connected at a time, a dedicated interface 

called the Multi-drone panel is displayed to monitor each drone and switch 

between them. 

• A number of settings are offered to keep relevant flight configurations (such 

as the Start and Home waypoint) synchronised between all connected drones. 

• Missions that require more than one flight can be automatically split and 

uploaded individually among all connected drones. 

• A new Control Bar appears at the bottom of the Map Area. Commands sent 

using the buttons in this Control Bar, such as 'START MISSION' or 'GO LAND; 

are sent to all the drones currently connected to your computer. 

• Collision avoidance is provided by eMotion29• This is done by automatically 

changing the altitude of the Start and Home waypoints for each drone in order to separate them. Also, the drones are automatically put on hold when 

there is a collision risk during the mission. 

When connecting to more than one drone at a time (real or simulated), a dedicated Multi-drone Panel is displayed next to the Sidebar. Each drone is displayed 

with its name, battery level and status and can be selected. The rest ofthe Sidebar 

and its various tabs are associated to the currently selected drone, as indicated by 

the colour of the frame. The multi-drone interface also displays the relative altitude of all drones with respect to the selected drone. Since this is a relative altitude, a value close to 0 m (0 ft) means that a drone is at the same altitude as the 

currently selected drone. Right-clicking on a drone's tab in the Multi-drone Panel 

allows you to disconnect the drone or change its colour. 

" if the option is selected in the Multi-drones preference pane 

100 
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Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee RTK 

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One advantage of flying multiple drones at once is to cover more area in less time. 

eMotion can automatically upload a multi-flight mission to all connected drones 

in a single click. To achieve this, follow this procedure: 

1. Go to the Mission Planning tab and prepare the required mission area (this 

can be done with any of the connected drone selected). Make sure that 

the number of flights required matches the number of connected drones. 

If needed, the 'Max flight time' option can be lowered to force the mission 

planner to split the mission in several flights (see section 'Mission Planning 

tab' on page 130). 

2. Select 'Upload to all' from the drop-down list of the 'Upload button: 

0 Note: You can only split a mission between drones of the same model 

and that are using the same camera. 

101 
Advanced functionalities 

Clicking on the 0 icon in the Multi-drone panel allows you to either connect a 

new drone or to bring up the Multi-drones preferences pane. 

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eMotion provides Multi-drone coordination options to synchronise various waypoints and parameters among connected drones: 

102 

• Take-off: Synchronising the take-off applies specifically to Directional takeoff heading and transition altitude. 

• Start waypoint: When the Start waypoint is synchronised, eMotion will 

use the same location and altitude for the Start way point of each connected 

drone. Every modification to the Start waypoint of one drone is thus transferred to all other drones. To prevent collisions between drones, eMotion 

will automatically create a stack by incrementing the altitude of each drone 

that is currently circling the Start waypoints to ensure a 15 m (49ft) separation. The base altitude of the Start waypoint, which is the altitude of the 

lowest drone in the stack, can be set in the Multi-drone Panel. 

• Home waypoint and landing: Similarly to the Start waypoint, when the 

Home waypoint is synchronised eMotion will us the same Home waypoint 
Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee RTK 

for all connected drones. A stack will also be created to avoid collisions 

between multiple drones circling the Home waypoint. 

Caution: As eMotion defines the Start and Home waypoints in ATO. 

It is therefore critical for all drones to take off from the exact same 

location to achieve altitude separation and collision avoidance over 

these two waypoints. 

• Flight parameters: This option will synchronise all the parameters in the 

'Flight parameters' tab across all drones. This includes the Working area 

radius and ceiling, take-off transition altitude, Security action parameters, 

etc. 

• Mission planning: This option will share the same Mission Area among all 

connected drones. 

• Simulator: When checked, repositioning a simulated drone on the map 

will reposition all simulated drones at the same time. 

In addition to the altitude separation on the Start and Home waypoints described 

above, eMotion provides two traffic control mechanisms to help avoid collision 

between drones in flight: 

• Proximity warning: When enabled, a visual and audible warning will be 

emitted if two drones are on a trajectory potentially leading to a collision 

in less than 7 seconds. 

• Collision avoidance: When enabled, eMotion will constantly monitor the 

trajectory of the connected drones and automatically put one drone in a 

temporary hold pattern (similar to the HOLD POSITION function, see section 'Control Bar' on page 118) until it is safe to resume the flight. Priority 

is given to drones with the lowest battery level, engaged in a landing procedure or with an active error or warning. 

103 
Advanced functionalities 

Caution: All collision avoidance mechanisms are implemented by 

eMotion on the ground computer. The drones' autopilot do not communicate between themselves and do not have knowledge of each 

other's positions. It is therefore critical to keep all drones connected 

to eMotion at all times and remain well inside communication 

range. 

0 Note: While eMotion strives to avoid all collisions, the operator is ultimately responsible to ensure flight safety. In particular, situations 

involving more that two drones in converging trajectories may not 

always be handled automatically in a fully safe manner. It is recommended to use slightly different altitudes for each drone when flying 

more than two drones at a time to limit the risk of collision. 

In more advanced scenarios you may wish to share the position and even the control of a drone across a local area network. eMotion provides the following Network sharing options: 

104 

• Allow other computers to see my drones: All computers that are running eMotion and are connected to the same network will be able to display the position, status and other parameters of the drones connected to 

your computer. 

• Allow other computers to control my drones: All drones currently connected to your computer are not only displayed, but can be fully controlled 

by other computers running eMotion on the same network. 

• See all drones on my local network: Check this box to display the position and other parameters of drones connect to other computers on the 

same network. 

• Apply multi-drone coordination to local network: Check this box to 

synchronise all the selected parameters in the Multi-drone coordination 

preferences across all drones that are connected to the same network (provided that they have checked the 'Allow other computers to control my 

drones' option). 
Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee RTK 

• Share simulators on my local network: If this box is checked, all Network 

sharing options apply to both real and simulated drones connected to your 

computer. In unchecked, they only apply to real drones. 

6.8 Individual photo targets and oblique imagery 

In some cases it may be interesting to take oblique photographs of objects, for 

example to provide a nice image for documentation or to increase the quality 

of 30 models that contain vertical facades and surfaces. eMotion includes a tool 

for defining photo targets with a specific distance, heading and pitch angle. The 

drone can then orient itself and capture the image using a patent-pending pitchdown manoeuvre. 

Capturing an oblique image can be done easily by following these steps: 

1. Add a new photo target by clicking on the+ button in the Camera tab. Use 

the cross-hairs to place the photo target on the location of interest in the 

Map Area. You may also right-click anywhere in the Map Area and select 

'Add photo target here' from the contextual menu. The photo target will 

appear as a circle in the Map Area with an estimated image footprint, a 

manoeuvre zone and a status panel with estimated altitudes before and 

after the image is taken. 

resize to change 

ground resolution 

estimated { 

footprint 

rotate to change 

heading 

manoeuvre zone 

photo target altitude 

>'f--- photo target 

move in the arrow direction 

to change pitch/persepctive 

estimated altitudes 

before/after photo 

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2. Select the desired heading and pitch angles of the image by rotating the 

image footprint and moving the photo target arrow, respectively. The estimated image footprint can help you choose the required angles. You can 

also set the angles manually in the 'Photo targets' section of the Camera 

tab. 

3. Define the desired ground resolution at the photo target within the Camera tab. You can also adjust the ground resolution by resizing the photo 

footprint in the Map Area. 

Caution: Be sure to define a ground resolution that is high enough to 

allow the drone to recover from its pitch manoeuvre by paying close 

attention to the 'Minimum altitude after photo' parameter. We recommend that you do not define parameters that result in an 'Minimum altitude after photo' of less than 30m (98ft), in particular when 

selecting a high pitch angle. 

4. Define the altitude of the photo target, if it is not the same as the take-off 

altitude. You may use elevation data to define this altitude by enabling the 

'Use elevation data to set absolute photo target altitudes' checkbox. 

Repeat the above steps to define multiple photo targets. After launching your 

drone, click on the 'Begin sequence' button in the Camera tab at anytime to begin 

taking the images. The eBee RTK will fly to the location of the first photo location, 

measure the wind above the location, and perform a dive (pitching down) manoeuvre to take the oblique photo. It will perform this for all photo targets until 

it has completed the entire sequence. 

Taking a series of oblique images of the same photo target at regular heading and 

pitch intervals allows you to create a higher quality 3D model of a photo target. 

You can use the 'New photo target increment' to define a desired increment angle. 

Clicking on the + button will then add a new photo target at the same location 

as the previous target but with an incremented pitch and heading value. 

A more detailed description of all the available options for taking images of individual photo targets can be found in section 'Camera tab' on page 141. 

106 
Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee RTK 

6.9 Emergency Manoeuvres 

Despite careful planning, unexpected situations might place people, property, 

animals or your drone in danger, for example: 

• Unexpected intrusions into your eBee RTK's airspace by low-flying aircraft 

or other UAVs. 

• Flight planning errors. 

• Unexpected intrusions into the landing zone. 

• Birds approaching or attacking your drone. 

• Unexpected changes in wind conditions. 

As a precautionary measure to be used only when absolutely necessary, the eBee RTK 

has been programmed with a series of emergency manoeuvres: 

• Land now 

The drone immediately initiates a circular landing around a 30 m (98 ft) 

radius waypoint at its current location. 

• Abort landing 

The drone aborts its landing, climbs up to a safe altitude and circles waiting 

for a command. See section 'Linear landing' on page 94 for more details. 

• Roll 

The drone performs a roll along a linear flight path, then resumes its mission. 

• Fast climb 

The drone suddenly climbs with full thrust approximately40 m (131ft) then 

gradually descends (at approximately 4 m/s (780ft/min) back to its initial 

altitude. 

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Advanced functionalities 

• Fast descent 

The drone enters a spinning dive. It then pulls out ifthe dive, resulting in 

between 15 and 30 m (98ft) of lost altitude, and climbs gradually back up 

to its initial altitude. 

Activating Emergency Manoeuvres 

The land now and abort landing buttons are always available on the control bar. 

To activate the roll, fast climb and descent features: 

1. Choose Preferences from the liii1 File menu. 

2. Choose the User interface pane. 

§.J. local preferences. 

~interface: .. _._.] fi:,...,, 

,'i Elevation data 

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iii Folder 

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l?J Show fast dmb button 

0 Show lastdescentbutton 

3. In the Advanced buttons panel, check the manoeuvres you want to activate 

and click OK. 

Buttons that trigger the manoeuvres are added to the Control Bar: 

-

108 

ABORT 

LANDING ROLL FAST 

CUMB 
0 

Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee RTK 

Note: To trigger the 'land now' manoeuvre, click the land now button 

3 times in quick succession (within half a second). 

A landing can only be aborted in the absence of critical failure. 

When to use the Emergency Manoeuvres 

You might need to use an emergency manoeuvre in these situations: 

Presence of birds 

Birds approach your drone out of curiosity, or they consider it a threat and attack 

it. 

• To try and escape an isolated incident, consider using the fast climb or descent manoeuvres. 

• To try and startle the birds and dissuade them from approaching your drone, 

consider using the roll manoeuvre. 

• In the even of a sustained attack, or a situation that may put the birds at 

risk, land your drone. 

0 Note: Consult with your local authority or wildlife conservation association before flying in sensitive areas. Avoid flying near known 

nesting sites, especially when young are present in spring or early 

summer. Rather than disturb the birds, consider flying at a different 

time of year or adapting your flight plan to minimise your impact on 

wildlife. 

Flight planning oversights 

You have moved the home waypoint on uneven terrain, but you have not corrected the landing altitude to compensate for the change in ground level under 

the new home waypoint. 

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Advanced functionalities 

You think there is a risk of a hard landing for some other reason. 

Unexpected wind or a flight planning oversight means that your drone will land 

on water or in some other unsuitable place. 

Consider aborting the landing, correcting the error, and landing again. 

Unexpected intrusions into airspace 

Your drone is about to collide with another aircraft or UAV. Consider a fast climb 

or descent. 

Unexpected intrusions into landing zone 

A person or vehicle moves into your landing zone during landing approach. Consider aborting the landing. 

110 

Caution: You cannot trigger an emergency manoeuvre if it will: 

• cause your drone to leave the working area. 

• make your drone fly below 30 m (98ft) and cause a ground 

proximity warning. 

• interrupt an emergency landing that was caused by a critical 

failure. 

Caution: To avoid a collision, do not carry out a fast climb or fast 

descent if this would risk flying close to trees or other obstacles. 

Caution: Some of these manoeuvres will cause a loss in altitude. To 

avoid crashing your drone, do not carry out several emergency manoeuvres in quick succession. Allow your drone to stabilise its flight 

and altitude after each manoeuvre. 
Understanding aerial mapping with the eBee RTK 

Caution: While your drone is carrying out an emergency manoeuvre it cannot capture high-quality images and some images may be 

missing at the end ofthe mission. In addition, these manoeuvres use 

up battery power, shortening the available flight time. If, after activating a manoeuvre 3 times, the issue has not be resolved, consider 

landing and waiting (for example, until birds have left the area) before restarting or resuming your mission. 

111 
Advanced functionalities 

7 eMotion in-depth guide 

112 

Goal of this section: eMotion is a powerful tool designed specifically 

to work with your senseFiy mini-drones. This section includes a comprehensive guide to all the functionalities in eMotion to help you plan, 

simulate and monitor your next mapping flight. 

Flight Parameters tab -----. 

Camera tab ----. 

Mission Waypoints tab ----, 

Mission Planning tab 

Setup Phase tab 

Flight Monitoring tab 

"': ... 0 ::! - ,,.,..,.,,,... ...... .,. •'! 

Sidebar 

Status 

Panel 
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) 

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eMotion in-depth guide 

The main eMotion interface is composed of a Map Area, a Tool bar and a Sidebar30. 

The Map Area displays the current location of the eBee RTK, a Status Panel with 

important information on the drone's current status, and a Control Bar used to 

send commands to the drone (section 'Control Bar' on page 118). 

The Tool bar above the Map Area includes the 1iil File menu, controls for selecting 

the source of map data, the display of picture footprints and various other controls 

(section 'Tool bar'). 

The Sidebar is separated into six individual tabs that are used during different 

phases of planning and monitoring a flight. The Sidebar tabs can be hidden at 

any time by clicking on the left-hand edge of the Sidebar. Each tab is described 

in detail in the following chapter. The Sidebar also contains controls for the Simulator (section 'Simulator' on page 116) 

7.1 Toolbar 

RTK Status Map source 

______ _!____ - _I 

---- -~Q 

Custom map source ___ __,I I I I 

Google Earth display------'· 

Follow drone position-------' 

Center on drone--------'· 

Center on coordinate ----------1 

[

L__I Zoom _j 

Full Screen 

Clear all footprints 

Show/hide footprints 

30 for an overview of the eMotion interface see section 'The eMotion interface' on page 25 

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Advanced functionalities 

You can access the File menu by clicking on the iii button in the Toolbar. From this 

menu you can connect to or disconnect from a drone, access the Flight Data Manager, change eMotion preferences or import custom maps. Clicking the ~ icon 

will launch Goog/e Earth TM and display the current flight trajectories of drones connected to eMotion, as described in detail in section 'Flight visualization in Goog/e EarthTM' 

on page 88. 

You can access RTK setup and choose your RTK correction source from the Choose 

RTK Source menu. 

You can select the background map source from the drop-down list in the Tool bar, 

and adjust its zoom level using the fo and F> buttons. eMotion can use many 

sources of commercially available and custom mapping information. Tiles from 

map sources with the icon @ are downloaded by eMotion from the Internet as 

required and locally cached on the hard drive. Due to regulatory restrictions, map 

sources with the icon • cannot be saved locally and are not recommended for 

use in the field. 

If you anticipate the use of eMotion in conditions where connecting to Internet is 

impossible, you can preload the map data by selecting 'Download maps .. : from 

the iii File menu. Follow the instructions in the dialog box to select the zone of 

interest, map tile source and start downloading. 

eMotion can also import and display custom layers which may include KML files, 

custom map tiles and elevation data. To import a KML file, select 'Import KML .. : 

from the iii File menu and select your KML file. The resulting layer will now be 

available in the Tool bar by clicking on the~ icon, and can be clicked to display or 

hide it. eMotion can display lines, polygons, paths and points saved in KML format. 

0 Note: KML files, including associated icons or images included within 

them, are not copied to the eMotion directory and will no longer appear in eMotion if the original KML files are deleted. 

Custom map tiles can also be added as a layer in eMotion. These tile sets must be 

TMS-compatible sets of files. Select 'Import custom map .. : from the iii File menu 

and select the folder that contains the tile set. The tile set will then appear in the 

list of layers in the Tool bar, accessible by clicking the~ button. 

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eMotion in-depth guide 

Note: If you use Postflight Terra 30 (see section 'Processing image data' on page 66), you can generate TMS-compatible, eMotioncompatible tile sets for each project. In this way, you can create your 

own map background using the eBee RTK. Generate the tile set by 

selecting 'Generate Google Maps tiles and KML' from the 'Process' 

menu within Postflight Terra 30. 

Whenever the eBee RTK takes a picture, eMotion records the location and orientation ofthe drone and computes the approximate span ofthe photo on the ground 

(or 'footprint'). All the footprints taken by a drone are added to a shaded polygon 

outlined with the drone's colour and displayed in the Map Area. This polygon represents an estimate of the area that has been photographed by the drone. 

The footprints can be shown or hidden using the 't button. When hidden, the 

footprints are kept in memory and new photos continue to be recorded, but nothing is displayed in the Map Area. Footprints for all drones remain in the memory 

of eMotion, even when a drone is disconnected or eMotion is shut down. Clicking 

on the 'button removes all footprint polygons from the Map Area the memory 

of eMotion. New picture footprints will be created for subsequent pictures that 

are taken. 

0 Note: Clearing or hiding the footprints has no influence on what is 

logged by eMotion and on-board the drone during the flight, such as 

the information required to geotag the images after the flight. 

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0 Note: The footprints displayed on the map are only an approximate 

estimation of the actual ground coverage of the corresponding image. Cross-wind may introduce errors in the orientation of the displayed footprint compared to the actual coverage, whereas inaccurate elevation data may result inaccurate footprint size. 

The Toolbar also contains buttons for centering the Map Area on the current position of the drone (•.;• button), on a searchable location or coordinate(+ button) 

or to continually follow the position of the drone while it is in flight(@ button). 

Finally you can view eMotion in full-screen mode by clicking the~ button. 

7.2 Simulator 

Familiarising yourself with your eBee RTK and its features will allow you to more 

efficiently plan and execute mapping flights, saving you time and improve your 

imaging results. The Simulator in eMotion is designed to help you test the various 

features of the drone and to better prepare a mapping mission before performing it in the field. Several simulated drones can be connected at the same time, 

allowing you to test multi-drone functionalities. 

fast-forward --------.

1 

,...~------ re-position take-off location 

play .------- initiate take-off 

pause ~ r-instant recharge of battery 

Simul<ii:Gt: 

II ... Wind~ Y 2.0 m/s A .,.... 318° .&. 

wind speed ------' 

wind direction ------....1 

The Simulator bar appears at the bottom of the Sidebar of eMotion when you connect to a simulated drone. The simulated drone will go through the same preflight checks as a real eBee RTK, after which it will update the Home to its current 

position (typically the last position that was used within the simulator) and the 

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eMotion in-depth guide 

Start way point to 80 m (262ft) West of the Home waypoint. The various buttons 

available in the Simulator bar are described in table 1 . 

Feel free to modify the wind speed, waypoint positions and other parameters in 

the Toolbar and the various tabs of the Sidebar in eMotion to see their effect on 

the eBee RTK while it is in flight. Also be sure to explore the effects of the various buttons in the Control Bar on the behaviour of your drone. Don't be afraid to 

push the boundaries! Aborting a flight or causing an emergency landing in the 

simulator will better prepare you for unexpected circumstances while in the field. 

Pause 

Play 

Fast forward 

Table 1: Simulator bar buttons 

Clicking the pause button will pause the simulation 

and thus stop the drone while in flight. This can be 

useful when you wish to change parameters or waypoints while the drone is already in flight. Note: this 

is a simulated action that is not possible with the 

real eBee RTK. Instead of pausing while in flight 

we recommend that you use the 'HOLD POSITION' function to better simulate real flight conditions. 

Clicking the play button returns the simulation to actual speed from the pause or fast-forward conditions. 

Clicking this button increases the speed of the simulation to 4x actual speed. This allows you to shorten 

the time required to simulate a complete mission. 

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Advanced functionalities 

Re-position 

take-off location 

Initiate take-off 

Instant recharge of 

battery 

Wind speed and 

direction 

7.3 Control Bar 

START 

MISSION 

Clicking this button and then clicking on a location 

in the Map Area simulates the action of connecting the battery to the drone in a new location. The 

drone is returned to the ground at the new location 

and runs through its pre-flight checks before entering Idle mode. 

Clicking this button simulates a take-off procedure, 

including the motor power-up sequence and the 

hand launch31 . 

Clicking this button will instantly recharge the battery of the drone. Note: This is a simulated action 

that is not possible with the real eBee RTK while 

it is in flight. 

These fields are used to input a simulated wind speed 

and direction. A random wind speed and direction is 

set when eMotion connects to a simulated drone. 

RESUME 

MlSS!ON 

Command buttons 

GOTO 

START'W'PT 

GOTO 

HOME'.'u'PT 

GO 

LAND 

HOW 

POSmON - ABORT 

LANDING 

L Warning indicator 

EB-Ql-Q08 

31 see section 'Take-off' on page 59 for a description of the take-off procedure 

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eMotion in-depth guide 

The Control Bar includes buttons for sending commands to the drone and for acknowledging warnings while it is in flight. Certain buttons can only be used during specific flight modes32• 

The Command buttons allows the operator to directly control the drone while it 

is in flight. The various buttons are described in table 2. 

Table 2: Control Bar Buttons 

WARNING33 Active For yellow In-flight warnings, button text 

warning changes to 'ACK WARNING' and clicking will 

acknowledge the current warning. For red 

Critical failures, button text changes to 'CRITICAL FAILURE' and cannot be clicked. 

START No active Fly towards the first active waypoint in the 

MISSION Security action waypoint list and start the mission from the 

beginning. 

RESUME Not in Perform Return to the last position reached during 

MISSION Mission mode the mission and continue the flight plan. 

GOTO No active Fly towards the Start waypoint, circle and 

STARTWPT Security action wait for next command. 

GOTO Anytime Fly towards the Home waypoint, circle and 

HOMEWPT wait for next command. 

32 see section 'Autonomous controller and modes of flight' on page 90 for more information on flight 

modes 33 see section Troubleshooting' on page 168 for a full description of In-flight warnings and Critical 

failures that may occur 

119 
Advanced functionalities 

GO LAND Anytime Fly towards the Home waypoint and initiate 

landing procedure. 

HOLD No active Create a virtual waypoint at the current locaPOSITION Security action tion and altitude, circle around this point and 

wait for next command. 

LAND NOW Anytime Initiate a Circular landing around a 30 m 

Click 3x (98 ft) radius waypoint at the current location. Must be clicked 3 times in quick suecession to be engaged. 

ABORT During Cir- Circular or Linear landing: abort current 

LANDING cular Land- landing procedure, return to the altitude of 

ing, Linear the Home waypoint, circle the Home wayLanding, or point and wait for next command. 

Emergency Emergency landing: (only available if there 

Landing mode is no active Critical failure) abort current 

(if no active landing procedure, return to the location 

Critical failure) where the Emergency landing was triggered, 

circle and wait for next command. 

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7.4 Flight Monitoring tab 

The Flight Monitoring tab can be used to monitor the eBee RTK during a mapping 

mission and is the default tab that is displayed when you click anywhere on the 

map area that does not have a symbol. The tab is split into the following sections: 

• Drone Status: The status of the plane keeps you informed on what the 

drone is currently doing. This can include mission actions such as Taking 

photo' or 'Going to waypoint' as well as warning or failure messages such 

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Advanced functionalities 

as 'Out of working area' or 'High wind.34

. 

0 Note: The most important status and warning messages are reproduced in the Status Panel in the Map Area, and thus remain visible 

even when the Sidebar is hidden. 

• Autonomy: The battery level displays the current charge and voltage of 

the battery. As the battery's charge level decreases, the voltage decreases 

as well. A fully charged battery has a voltage of 12.6 V and is fully discharged when it reaches about 9 V35. 

This section also displays the total time in flight, the straight-line distance 

to the Home waypoint, the estimated time required to return to the Home 

waypoint (based on estimated wind strength) and the quality of the radio 

data link between the ground modem and the drone. The strength and 

direction of the wind estimated by the drone is displayed with an arrow. 

Caution: Lithium polymer batteries are chemical devices whose performance depends on a number of parameters, including temperature, lifetime, number of cycles, mechanical integrity, etc. Estimating 

the remaining capacity of a battery can thus be tricky and the displayed value may occasionally be inaccurate. It is the operator's responsibility to monitor battery voltage and flight time in addition to 

the battery level to make sure that endurance is sufficient to complete the mission. 

• Flight data: This section includes additional information that may be useful during the flight, including ground speed and height, altitude Above 

Mean Sea Level (AMSL) and the absolute position detected by the GNSS 

receiver on-board the eBee RTK. 

34 see section 'Troubleshooting' on page 168 35 see section 'Proper battery care' on page 165 

122 
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eMotion in-depth guide 

0 Note: The ground sensor height indicates the height above the 

ground detected by the ground sensor. The sensor can typically detect distances below 60 m (197ft), depending on available light and 

surface contrast. 

current heading in degrees 

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• Instruments: This display mimics the classical primary flight display used 

in manned aircraft. The column on the left displays the current air speed 

of the eBee RTK as well as the desired air speed, in metres per second. The 

column on the right displays the drone's current altitude over take-off location, as well as the desired altitude over the take-off location, in metres. 

The bar at the top displays the current heading of the drone36• North is 

indicated as 0°, East as 90°, South as 180° and West as 270°. 

• Identification: This displays the serial number of your eBee RTK and the 

number of the Drone Flight log for the current flight. This number can be 

used as a reference when importing flight data after a flighe7

. 

• Payload information: This section displays the payload currently selected 

and the number of photos that has been taken since take-off8

• 

36 this feature is only accurate when in flight 37 see section 'Obtaining your images and flight data' on page 66 38 see section 'Camera tab' on page 141 for instructions on changing the payload type 

123 
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Advanced functionalities 

124 

• Advanced Instruments: This section displays the current internal temperature of the drone, the number of GPS/GLONASS signals detected and the 

estimated accuracy of the the position. 
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The Setup Phase tab is used to define the setup phase of a flight plan. This phase 

includes the definition of the Home and Start waypoints and the actions to be 

taken before and after the mission phase of the flight plan. 

The Setup Phase tab is divided into the following sections: 

• Take-off parameters: You can predefine a take-off heading and transition 

125 
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Advanced functionalities 

126 

altitude. To enable this feature, expand the Take-off parameters' box and 

check the 'Activate directional take-off' check box. A new arrow is now displayed on the map. This arrow defines the take-off heading, the drone will 

try to stay on the track defined by the arrow. 

desired takeoff 

direction 

You can now grab the arrow on the map in order to modify the take-off 

heading. Furthermore you can also pre-set the take-off direction and the 

take-off transition altitude in the Setup Phase tab. 

Default value: Unchecked, Heading: 0°, Transition altitude: 20 m/ATO 

(66ft/ATO) 

Caution: Setting the take-off transition altitude too low may cause 

the drone to perform a change of direction too early and may result 

in a crash. Setting the take-off transition altitude too high may cause 

the drone to drift sideways after take-off if there is too much wind. 

• Start waypoint: Here you set the position, change altitude parameter, altitude above take-off (m/ ATO), turn direction and radius of the Start waypoint. You can set the location by clicking the 0 button and clicking on the 

desired location in the Map Area. 
eMotion in-depth guide 

Default values: Change altitude: During transit, Altitude: 75 m/ ATO (246ft/ ATO), 

Turn direction: anticlockwise, Radius: 30m (98ft), Location: 80 m (262ft) 

West of the position calculated from satellite signals on start-up 

• After take-off: You can either command the drone to start the mission 

phase immediately after reaching the Start waypoint or to wait for a command from eMotion. This second option is useful if you want to modify the 

flight plan while the drone is already in flight, or if you want to resume an 

incomplete mission. 

Default value: Start mission 

• After mission: Use this panel to select the action you wish the drone to 

execute once it completes the mission phase. The eBee RTK can either automatically go to the Home waypoint and land, go to the Home or Start 

waypoint and wait for a command or to restart the mission phase. 

Default value: Land 

• Home waypoint: Here you set the position, change altitude parameter, 

altitude (in m/ATO or m/AMSL if 'Land at a different altitude than take-off' 

is selected), turn direction and radius of the Home way point. You can set 

the location by clicking the Q button and clicking on the desired location 

in the Map Area. 

Default values: Change altitude: Keep highest, Altitude: 75 m/ ATO (246ft/ ATO), 

Turn direction: anticlockwise, Radius: 30m (98ft), Location: position calculated from GPS/GLONASS signals on start-up 

• Landing: With this panel you can choose between a Circular landing or 

a Linear landing on the Home waypoint. If you select 'Linear landing' the 

panel expands to show options on approach sectors. You can define up to 

four approach sectors, each of which has a heading and a span, either by 

dragging in the map area or by manually setting parameters in the panel. 

See section 'Linear landing' on page 94 for details how to correctly select 

the Home waypoint and approach sectors. 

Default value: Linear landing, Approach sectors: single sector with a Heading of 0° and Span of20° 

127 
Advanced functionalities 

• Landing location altitude: You can also configure the altitude oft he landing location if it is different from the Take-off altitude. Expand the 'Landing 

location altitude' panel and select an altitude in m/AMSL or in m/ATO. It is 

also possible to predefine the landing altitude based on elevation data by 

clicking on the 'Set absolute landing altitude based on elevation data' button. This button will pre-set the altitude each time it is clicked (i.e. if the 

landing position is changed, the altitude is not automatically pre-set based 

on the Improved SRTM model, the user has to press the button each time 

that the landing position is changed). 

Default value: Landing location altitude: 0 m/ ATO (0 ft/ ATO) 

• Setup phase reset: Pressing the 'Reset all setup phase parameters' will 

reset the Home and Start waypoints to the take-off location and reset the 

rest of the parameters on the tab to factory defaults. Clicking the 'Reset 

all waypoints and photo targets' will remove all the waypoints and photo 

targets in the currently loaded in the drone. 

• Flight plan actions: A complete flight plan includes all the Setup phase 

(Start and Home waypoints, Take-off and Landing parameters, etc.), Mission phase (waypoints), Camera (camera model, photo targets, etc.) and 

Flight (working area radius and ceiling, Security actions, etc.) parameters. 

- Reset flight plan resets the current flight plan to default parameters39. 

- Load flight plan from file ... and Save flight plan to file ... load and 

save the current flight plan (both setup and mission phases) to a XML 

file for later reuse. 

- Click Save flight plan in drone to save the current flight plan to the 

eBee RTK's on-board memory. Once a flight plan is saved in the drone's 

memory, it will become the default flight plan the nexttimethe drone 

is started and will appear in eivlotion upon connection. The drone aiso 

keeps track of its last way point during a flight. If you have saved the 

flight plan to the drone in this way, it can resume an incomplete mission from the point it was interrupted. You can then, for example, 

39 this action is only available when the drone is not in flight 

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eMotion in-depth guide 

land mid-mission to change the drone's battery or import images using the Flight Data Manager, then take off again and the drone will 

complete the mission from the point it left off. 

Note: To resume an incomplete mission, in the Start Waypoint panel 

on the Flight Setup tab, set the After take-off action to Wait on start 

waypoint. Launch your drone, then when it reaches the Start waypoint, let it circle the waypoint once, then click RESUME MISSION on 

the Control Bar. 

Note: The drone will not resume a saved mission at the point it was 

interrupted if any changes have been made to the mission waypoints, 

or if the saved mission would cause the drone to leave the working 

area. 

Note: It is not necessary to save a flight to the autopilot in order to 

fly! This is an advanced option meant to reduce the preparation time 

required when the same flight is performed many times and allow 

interrupted missions to resume. 

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7.6 Mission Planning tab 

The Mission Planning tab is used to automatically define a set of waypoints based 

on a mission area and a set of image parameters. Clicking on this tab will make a 

grey box appear in the Map Area that represents the mission area to be mapped. 

You can modify this area's location, size and rotation using the handles around it, 

as explained in section The mission phase of a flight' on page 30. 

0 

0 

130 

mission 

area 

rotate, 

resize, 

displace 

/

. generated 

flight 

lines 

Note: The quality of the output orthomosaic is usually lower on the 

outer edges of the area that is photographed, as there is less overlap 

between images. The area photographed is thus always calculated 

to be bigger than the mission area selected so as to ensure maximum 

image overlap within the mission area itself. 

Note: If there is no flight plan overlaid on the mission area rectangle 

then the mission is too large and cannot be flown by the eBee RTK. 

This can be for two reasons: either the distance between two waypoints is too long for the drone to cover in a single flight, or the waypoints are too far from the Take-off and landing locations. 
\ 

' 

Mapping and 

mission parameters 

Resulting flight characteristics 

eMotion in-depth guide 

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The Mission Planning tab is divided in several panels. The first panel, Mapping 

and mission parameters, contains the parameters that define the requirements 

of a particular mission: 

• Difficult terrain: Clicking this button will fill in preset values to the rest 

of the parameters. The Difficult terrain preset is meant for imaging terrain 

with complex features such as forests. High image overlap is recommended 

to increase the amount of features that can be matched between images, 

though at the cost of lower image resolution (due to higher altitude). 

• Easy terrain (default): This preset is meant for simple terrain such as quarries or agricultural areas where high-resolution images can be taken with 

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Advanced functionalities 

relatively low image overlap. 

0 Note: The preset values are recommended settings that have 

demonstrated good results when images are then used in Postflight 

Terra 30 to create orthomosaics. Do not hesitate, however, to modify these parameters to suit the particularities of the terrain you are 

mapping orthe local regulations and airspace constraints. 

• Mission area: You can select either a rectangular mission area for simple 

terrain (as described in section The mission phase of a flight' on page 30) or 

a polygonal mission area for more complex terrain (as described in section 

'Advanced polygonal mission area' on page 85). 

Default value: Rectangular 

• Ground resolution: The target ground resolution to be achieved, expressed 

in centimetres per pixel (1 cm/px = 0.4 in/px). This parameter is directly 

linked to the flight altitude: a higher resolution (few cm/px) requires a lower 

altitude, while a lower resolution (many cm/px) requires a higher one. 

Default value: 4.0 cm/px (1.6 in/px) 

• Camera: The camera payload that is currently selected40• Make sure the 

correct camera model is set in the flight planner to correctly calculate the 

required flight line spacing and distance between photos. 

• Desired altitude: The target altitude value is the desired altitude above 

the ground at which the drone will take images. It is automatically calculated based on the Ground resolution and the characteristics of the onboard camera. 

40 see section 'Camera tab' on page 141 for details on changing the camera type 

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eMotion in-depth guide 

Note: eBee RTK has a minimum distance between images that depends on wind strength and direction. The maximum longitudinal 

overlap depends on this minimum distance as well as the calculated 

altitude and the camera model. If the calculated altitude is too low 

the drone may not be able to achieve the required longitudinal overlap. This will be indicated by a A icon. Flying at an altitude of less 

than 40 m (131 ft) is potentially dangerous and will be indicated by a 

Oicon. 

• Use elevation data to set absolute waypoint altitudes: Checking this 

box will enable the flight planner to adjust the absolute altitudes of all mission waypoints based on elevation data. This advanced planning mode is 

described in detail in section '3D mission planning using elevation data' on 

page 86. 

Default value: disabled 

• Lateral overlap: The percentage of overlap between the ground coverage 

of pictures from adjacent flight lines. For most mapping purposes, a minimum of 50% is usually required. Higher coverage values may increase the 

mapping quality but will increase the flight duration. 

Default value: 60 % 

• Longitudinal overlap: The percentage of overlap between the ground 

coverage of pictures taken consecutively in the same flight line. 

Default value: 70 % 

• Generate perpendicular flight lines: Checking this box creates a second 

pass over the desired area perpendicular to the first pass. This option will 

significantly increase the overall image overlap and therefore improve the 

resulting map quality in Postflight Terra 30. It is particularly useful for difficult terrain at the cost of doubling the required flight time. 

Default value: disabled 

• Reverse flight direction: By default, the flight planner will design a flight 

in which the drone begins a mission at the farthest waypoint and finishes 

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Advanced functionalities 

closer to the Home waypoint. Checking this box reverses the order of the 

planned mission waypoints. Be cautious, however, to ensure that there is 

enough reserve battery to return to the Home waypoint at the end of the 

mission. 

Default value: disabled 

• Save parameters as default: Clicking this button will save the current parameters of the Mission planning tab as the default ones in eMotion. 

The next panel contains advanced parameters used by the flight planner: 

• Starting waypoint: The waypoint ID of the first waypoint used to implement the mapping mission, as organized in the Waypoint list in the Mission 

Waypoints tab. This option is useful when including more than one mission 

area into a single flight. The default value for a new mission is 1. When planning for a second area to be covered in the same flight, the 'After previous' 

button sets the starting waypoint after the waypoints used for the previous 

area. 

Default value: 1 

• Wind estimate: The estimated wind speed and direction. Incorrectly setting the winds peed affects the estimated flight time of the eBee RTK and 

may cause it to return to Home before completing the desired flight plan. 

Clicking the 'Use current wind estimate' button will copy the wind speed 

currently estimated by the drone to the Wind estimate field. 

Default value: direction: 0°, speed: 0 m/s (0 nm/h) 

• Max flight time: This parameter sets the maximum estimated flight time 

for a single flight. If the flight planner estimates a longer flight time for the 

currently-selected Mission area it will split the mission into two or more 

flights. 

Default value: 40 min 

The third panel, Mission plan actions, includes the 'Upload' button which is used 

to upload the resulting mission waypoints to the autopilot. If there are multiple 

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eMotion in-depth guide 

flights required this button becomes a drop-down list, and you can upload each 

flight individually. 

Caution: Clicking 'Upload' will directly modify the waypoints required for the flight plan in the eBee RTK.Ifthe drone is flying towards 

or around one of these waypoints, its navigation will be affected to 

reflect the new waypoint parameters. 

Clicking the 'More' button reveals several more options: 

• Load mission area ... : Click to load a previously-saved mission area and 

parameters from an Auto Flight Planner (.afp) file. 

• Save mission area ... : Click to save the current mission area and parameters to an Auto Flight Planner (.afp) file. This can be useful for example to 

map the same area with different image and mission parameters, or to save 

and restore a large mapping mission that requires multiple flights. Note 

that this saves only the mission area shape and location along with the associated mission and image parameters, not the actual list of waypoints 

that is then generated or the camera payload model used to calculate the 

mission plan. 

• Load last used mission area: Clicking will load the last mission area that 

was successfully uploaded to an eBee RTK autopilot, whether it was a real 

or simulated one. This option is useful when you want to repeat your last 

mission and did not explicitly use the 'Save mission area .. : button. 

• Load mission area from KML file: Use this option to load a polygonal mission area directly from a KML file (produced in Goog/e EarthTM for example). 

• Load mission area from map object: Use this option to load a polygon a! 

mission area from a previously-imported map object (see section 'Toolbar' 

on page 113). 

• Reset mission area: Clicking will reset the mission area to the default rectangular size and reposition it in the centre of the Map Area. It will also reset 

135 
Advanced functionalities 

all mapping and mission parameters to their last saved default values41 • 

• Restore factory settings: Click to restore all the parameters of this tab to 

their default settings. 

The last panel of this tab displays the characteristics of the flight(s) resulting from 

the selected image parameters: 

• Number of flights: The resulting numberofflights that must be performed 

to cover the chosen mission area. If the mission area cannot be mapped in 

a single flight, eMotion will split it into the minimum possible number of 

flights. The estimated distance that can be covered in a flight is calculated 

assuming a fully charged battery and an accurate wind estimate. 

• Flight time: This is the estimated flight time for each of the flights. 

• Total flight distance: The total distance that will be flown during all of the 

flights. 

• Total ground coverage: The total area that will be mapped during all of 

the flights. 

• Number of flight lines: The total number of flight lines in the mission 

phase of the flight plan, not including flight lines to and from the Take-off 

or landing locations. The second number represents the flight lines perpendicular to the first number. 

• Flight lines spacing: The required distance between parallel flight lines, 

calculated using the Lateral overlap and Ground resolution parameters. 

41 Default values for mapping and mission parameters are set by clicking the 'Save parameters as default' button. 

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eMotion in-depth guide 

Note: If the flight line spacing is low enough to cause your drone to 

overshoot the beginning of a flight line, eMotion will automatically 

switch to an alternating flight line pattern. Your drone will fly along 

every other flight line, then return to fill in the gaps. If the spacing 

becomes too small even for an alternate flight lines, a will appear 

beside this parameter to indicate the warning. You can remove this 

warning by decreasing the Lateral overlap or the Ground resolution. 

• Mean flight lines altitude above elevation data: Mean altitude difference between all flight lines and the ground altitude, based on the topmost elevation data layer (30 flight planning only). 

• Max flight lines altitude above elevation data: Maximum altitude difference between a flight line and the ground altitude, based on the topmost elevation data layer (30 flight planning only). 

• Min flight lines altitude above elevation data: Minimum altitude difference between a flight line and the ground altitude, based on the top-most 

elevation data layer (30 flight planning only). 

• Distance between photos: The required distance between each consecutive photo taken in the same flight line, calculated using the Longitudinal 

overlap, Ground resolution and Camera model parameters. The wind also 

has an influence as the ground speed increases with back wind. 

0 Note: The eBee RTK has a minimum distance between photos that 

depends on the wind speed and direction. If the calculated distance 

that is too short will be indicated with a 0 icon. This is not critical for 

the flight, but it may reduce the longitudinal overlap of the images. 

Consider reducing the ground resolution (fly higher) to achieve the 

selected longitudinal overlap, or reduce the longitude overlap itself 

to remove this notice. 

• Single image coverage: The estimated ground area covered by a single 

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Advanced functionalities 

image, based on the Altitude over take-off location parameter (assuming 

flat terrain). 

• Number of waypoints: The total number of waypoints to cover the mission area. 

• Elevation data sources: The elevation data sources being used to calculate the altitudes of the waypoints. This can be either the default 'Improved 

SRTM' within eMotion or imported custom data sets, depending on which 

one is activated and is at the top of the list in the 'Elevation data' Preference 

pane. 

The flight characteristics are updated automatically as you modify the mission 

area in the Map Area or the parameters in the first panel. 

138 
7.7 Mission Waypoints tab 

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The Mission Waypoints tab contains a list of all mission waypoints currently on 

the drone autopilot. It can be used for finer control of individual waypoints in the 

current mission. The list of waypoints displays the ID, Change altitude parameter, 

Altitude and Action related to each mission waypoint. 

Clicking on a mission waypoint in the list or in the Map Area will expand the panel 

to display all the parameters related to that waypoint. These parameters are explained in detail in section 'Waypoints and their properties' on page 80. Changes 

made to the selected waypoint are sent to the drone immediately after selecting 

an item in the popup menu or upon hitting the 'Enter' key in the text fields. You 

can reposition the waypoint by clicking the Q button and then clicking at the desired position in the Map Area. You can make the selected waypoint the current 

waypoint by clicking the C) button. 

139 
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Advanced functionalities 

Caution: Any change to the waypoints or their parameters are directly sent to the drone and may therefore impact its flight behaviour. 

We recommend that you take great care before modifying waypoints 

while the drone is in flight. 

You can add new waypoints by clicking the + button or by right-clicking on the 

Map Area and selecting 'Add waypoint here: Clicking the 0 button will remove 

all mission waypoints from the drone. 

0 

140 

Note: All modifications made to the waypoint list will be lost when 

the drone is switched off, unless the list is explicitly saved into the autopilot using the 'Save flight plan in drone' button in the Setup Phase 

tab (see Section 'Setup Phase tab' on page 125). 
7.8 Camera tab 

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Camera control [ 

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The camera tab is an advanced tab that can be used to precisely control the functioning of the camera. It also contains controls for taking oblique imagery. It is 

split into several sections: 'Camera model; 'Photo targets; 'Camera control; and 

'Camera parameters for mapping: 

141 
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/ 

) 

Advanced functionalities 

The 'Camera model' section is used to define the camera or payload currently connected to the eBee RTK. The list contains all payloads currently supported on the 

eBeeRTK. 

The 'Photo targets' section allows you to program a set of photo targets that the 

drone will capture with an oblique angle. You can define a photo target location, 

distance to the object and the heading and pitch of the photograph. The drone 

will then automatically calculate a flight plan in order to capture the photo with 

the desired parameters. 

142 

• Photo sequence control: Clicking the 'Start sequence' button will send 

the drone to the first photo target location and subsequently take images 

of all the photo targets currently in the 'Photo targets' list. Clicking the 'Stop 

sequence' will send the drone back to the Home waypoint. 

• Photo targets: This panel contains the list of photo targets to be taken in 

a sequence. Clicking the + button will add a new photo target. You can 

set the location by using the cross-hairs and clicking in the Map Area. By 

default, the location of a new photo target is the same as the previous one 

in the list. Clicking the 0 will remove all photo targets from the sequence 

list. Each photo target has the following properties: 

- Change altitude: The way the drone transitions to the altitude of 

the current photo target. This parameter is set to 'Keep highest' for 

all photo targets and cannot be modified. 

- Minimum altitude after photo: This is the calculated minimum altitude the drone will reach at the end of a photo capture manoeuvre, 

based on the desired ground resolution. 

- Ground resolution: The desired ground resolution in the centre of 

the image that will be pointed at the photo target position. 

- Distance: The calculated straight-line distance between the drone 

and the photo target, and the defined pitch angle. For a given distance, as the pitch angle increases, the distance to the ground decreases. 

- Heading: The heading angle with respect to North of the photo target. 
-\ 

eMotion in-depth guide 

- Pitch: The pitch angle with respect to vertical of the photo target. 

- Altitude reference: The altitude reference of the photo target altitude, either ATO or AMSL. 

- Target altitude: The altitude of the photo target. 

- Position (Coordinate): The precise latitude and longitude oft he centre of the waypoint. 

• New photo target increment: This panel makes it easier to make a series of oblique photos of the same target with a regular angle increment in 

order to aid reconstruction of a 3D model. Every new Photo target that is 

added using the+ button will be placed at the same location as the previous one, but with an increment in heading and pitch angles defined by the 

'Heading increment' and 'Pitch increment' parameters, respectively. 

Default value: Heading increment: 0°, Pitch increment: 0° 

• Automatically reset target altitude based on elevation data: Check 

this box to use elevation data to set the absolute photo target altitudes. 

If this box is unchecked, photo targets are presumed to be at the same altitude as the take-off location. 

Default value: disabled 

The 'Camera control' section has the following functions: 

• Take photo now: Clicking this button will send a command to the drone 

to take a single picture at its current location. This command can be sent 

during the mission phase of a flight plan. 

0 Note: The 'Take photo now' button has no effect during Take-off, Circular landing, Linear landing and Emergency landing modes. 

• Continuous photo sequence: These radio buttons define how the drone 

is taking images. When the default option 'Auto' is selected the drone will 

start and stop continuous photo shooting based on the actions associated 

143 
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Advanced functionalities 

with mission waypoints. Selecting 'On' overrides waypoint actions and enables continuous shooting. Conversely, selecting 'Off' will override waypoint actions and disable continuous shooting. 

Default value: Auto 

The 'Camera parameters for mapping' section is used to define detailed parameters related to the camera and has the following functions: 

• Pitch angle: By default the eBee RTK takes images at a default estimated 

pitch angle of 7° relative to the horizon. This angle provides the best compromise between image quality and flight endurance. In some cases, however, you may wish to change this value to suit your imaging needs. 

Increasing this angle to 15° provides a slightly more perspective view of 

a building. Note, however, that a higher pitch angle will cause the drone 

to slow down every time it takes an image, losing altitude and decreasing 

flight time and longitudinal overlap. 

Decrease the pitch angle down to 0° can capture more vertical images of 

the ground if mapping precision at low altitudes is of utmost importance. 

However, decreasing this angle will cause the drone to lose altitude with 

each image taken, requiring it to return to the target altitude before taking 

another image, once again decreasing both flight time and longitudinal 

overlap between images. 

Default value: 7° 

• Distance between photos: Check the 'Use manual parameters' box to 

manually set the distance between photos in the direction of flight. This 

option may be used to override the automatic settings based on altitude 

and longitudinal overlap. 

Default value: Unchecked, Distance between photos: Automatic 

0 Note: Depending on the altitude and the wind the desired distance 

between images may not always be achievable. The minimum distance with no wind and at sea level is around 35-40 m (115-131 ft). 

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eMotion in-depth guide 

Clicking the 0 button will provide further options: 

• Save parameters as default in drone: Saves the currently-set camera parameters to the eBee RTK's autopilot's memory. 

• Restore factory parameters: Returns the parameters to their default values and automatically send them to the drone's autopilot. 

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Advanced functionalities 

7.9 Flight Parameters tab 

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The Flight Parameters tab includes some advanced functions that govern the overall behaviour of the drone while in flight. It is separated into two sections: 'Flight 

parameters' and 'General information~ The 'Flight parameters' section includes 

the following items: 

146 

• Working area radius: This is the radius of the working area around the 

take-off location. Flying outside of this area will create a warning and cause 

the drone to return to the Home waypoint. 

Default value: 500 m (1640 ft) 

• Working area ceiling: This is the maximum altitude above the take-off 

location at which the drone can fly. Flying above this altitude will create a 

warning and cause the drone to return to the Home waypoint. 

Default value: 300 m/ ATO (984ft/ ATO) 
eMotion in-depth guide 

• Manual control mode: Selects between Full Manual control and Assisted 

Manual control when the remote control is turned on42• 

Default value: Full Manual control 

• Security actions: The next checkboxes are used to disable certain Security 

actions43• 

• Ignore RC signals: Checking this option will result in the drone ignoring 

any signals coming from a remote control (RC) transmitter on the ground. 

Default value: unchecked 

Caution: In certain regions it is illegal to disable the remote control connection between the drone and the operator on the ground. 

Please check the laws in your region before enabling this option. 

• Return to Home in case of strong wind: Checking this box will enable the 

Security action related to high wind strength (return to Home waypoint). 

Un-checking this box will disable the Security action, however the drone 

will continue to estimate the wind strength and direction and the In-flight 

warning will continue to appear. 

Default value: checked 

Caution: The eBee RTK is not designed to fly in winds above 12 m/s 

(23 nm/h). Flying in high-wind conditions increases the chances of a 

crash that may damage the drone and is done at your own risk. 

• Return to Home in case of poor GPS/GLONASS coverage: Checking this 

box will enable the Security action (return to Home waypoint) related to 

poor GPS/GLONASS signal coverage. Un-checking this box will disable the 

Security action, however the In-flight warning will continue to appear. 

Default value: checked 

42 see section 'Manual control of the eBee RTK' on page 150 for more information 43 see section 'In-flight warnings' on page 174 for more information on Security actions related to 

specific In-flight warnings 

147 
Advanced functionalities 

• Return to Home in case of camera malfunction: Checking this box will 

enable the Security action (return to Home waypoint) related to a camera 

malfunction. Un-checking this box will disable the Security action, however the In-flight warning will continue to appear. 

Default value: checked 

• Return to Home after 30s in case of link loss: Checking this box will enable In-flight warnings and Security actions related to a loss of the communications uplink between eMotion and the drone (return to Home after 30 s 

of link loss). Un-checking this box disables both the In-flight warning and 

the Security action and will result in the drone continuing on its flight path 

even if it does not re-connect with eMotion. 

Default value: unchecked 

• Climb in case of detected ground proximity (<30m): The eBee RTK features a ground sensor that continuously checks the presence of the ground. 

If this box is checked and the ground sensor detects a height above the 

ground of less than 30 m (98ft), the drone will climb to a safe height of 

60 m (197ft) before continuing the mission. 

Default value: checked 

• Use ground sensor for landing: The eBee RTK uses its ground sensor together with its estimate of the wind speed during its landing manoeuvre 

to calculate the ideal momentto perform a final brake and enter deep stall. 

If this box is unchecked the drone will ignore the ground sensor during its 

approach and will assume that the landing location is precisely at the same 

altitude as indicated in eMotion. This will result in a landing precision that 

is decreased and dependent on the strength of the wind. 

Default value: checked 

0 Note: Un-checking this feature is only recommended when performing a linear landing in uneven terrain where the height measured by 

the ground sensor during approach would imply an undesired approach slope correction. 

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eMotion in-depth guide 

Clicking the 'More' list will provide further options: 

• Save parameters as default in drone: Saves the currently-set flight parameters to the eBee RTK's autopilot's memory. 

• Restore factory parameters: Returns the flight parameters to their default values and automatically sends them to the drone's autopilot. 

The 'General information' section displays information specific to your eBee RTK. 

This includes the current firmware and bootloader versions loaded into the autopilot, the serial numbers of the airframe and the autopilot, the total number of 

flights performed by drone and the total time spent in the air. 

0 Note: The flight counter is incremented every time the take-off procedure is initiated by shaking the eBee RTK back and forth 3 times, 

even if take-off is subsequently aborted. 

Clicking 'View flight database .. : will bring up a window that presents a summary 

of all the flights performed by the drone using this computer. 

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Advanced functionalities 

8 Manual control of the eBee RTK 

Goal of this section: This section describes how to use the remote 

control to manually control the drone, either in Full Manual or Assisted Manual modes. 

Caution: Operation of the eBee RTK in either Assisted or Full Manual mode requires the skills of an experienced RC aircraft pilot. 

SenseFiy Ltd cannot be held responsible for damage caused by manual control of the drone. Any damaged caused by manual control of 

the drone will void the warranty. 

8.1 Enabling manual control 

By default, the eBee RTK flies autonomously and does not need the provided remote control to be operated. However, by using the remote control, it is possible to override the drone's autopilot by switching to one of two available manual 

modes: Full Manual or Assisted Manual. In Full Manual mode the sticks of the 

remote control directly set the motor power and the angle of the ailerons of the 

drone. In Assisted Manual mode the sticks of the remote control are used to set 

the speed, turn rate and climb or sink rate. 

0 Note: Ensure that the 'Ignore RC signals' option in the Flight Parameters tab is unchecked44, otherwise the drone will ignore the commands from the remote control and remain in autonomous operation 

mode. 

Turning on the remote controi will cause the drone to change to either Assisted 

Manual or Full Manual mode, depending on the 'Enable assisted manual control' 

setting in the Flight Parameters tab4

s of eMotion. Turning off the remote control 

will cause the drone to return to the last autonomous operation mode it was in 

45 see section 'Flight Parameters tab' on page 146 for more details on this setting 

150 
Manual control of the eBee RTK 

before Manual mode was enabled. 

Caution: We recommend that you only turn the remote control on 

when it is held by a pilot ready to take manual control of the drone, 

and that you turn it off when putting the remote control down. 

Manual control of the eBee RTK can be achieved at any time if the drone is within 

range of the remote46. 

on: manual 

off: auto 

FM: Full Manual 

AM: Assisted Manual 

right stick 

Caution: The remote control is preconfigured for use with the 

eBee RTK.In particular, the trim dials, used to finely adjustthe position 

of the drone's ailerons, are calibrated to ensure optimal flight characteristics and should not be adjusted. Changing the remote control's configuration, including the trim settings, may compromise the 

flight characteristics of the drone. If, for any reason, the preset settings should be lost, contact your eBee RTK reseller. 

46 see section 'Drone specifications' on page 197 for the range of the remote control 

151 
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Advanced functionalities 

8.2 Pre-flight testing of the remote control 

If you plan to use the remote control during a flight we recommend that you first 

test it on the ground. Ensure that the eBee RTK is set to Full Manual mode47 and 

follow these steps: 

1. Check that the left stick on the remote control is in the low position to prevent the propeller from spinning. 

2. Turn on the remote control. 

3. Turn on the eBee RTK by connecting the battery. Once the drone detects the 

signal from the remote control it will change to one of the manual modes. 

Caution: The motor of the eBee RTK is now controlled by the remote 

control and will begin spinning if the left stick is pushed up. Always 

keep the area around the propeller clear of obstacles and body parts 

to prevent injury. 

4. Move the right stick on the remote control to verify proper reception by the 

drone and correct servo direction. 

5. Turn off the remote control for take-off. 

0 Note: If the remote control is switched on while it is performing preflight checks the ailerons will not move when the checks are completed and the GPS/GLONASS signals are acquired. 

For more information on using the remote control, refer to the original user manual, available from the Knowledge Base within my.senseFI/8

. 

47 see section 'Enabling manual control' on page 150 48 http://my.sensefly.com 

152 
Manual control of the eBee RTK 

8.3 Full Manual mode 

Full Manual mode allows you to have direct control over the eBee RTK's actuators, overriding all control from the on-board autopilot. The left stick controls the 

thrust. For safety reasons, the left stick should remain at the lowest position at all 

times, except during flight. 

The right stick controls the elevator and the ailerons in the same way as a typical 

aircraft control stick (or the joystick with a flight simulator). Note that the drone 

uses its ailerons to fulfil the functions of both ailerons and elevator in a classical 

airplane. When the ailerons function in the same direction, they act as the elevator. When the function in opposite motion, they act as ailerons. 

We recommend you perform a standard take-off procedure in autonomous mode 

and only switch to Full Manual mode when the drone is in the air. If you wish to 

take-off in Full Manual mode, however, you must use the following steps: 

1. Prepare the drone for flight as described in section 'Preparing the eBee RTK 

for flight' on page 46 while keeping the remote control turned off and the 

left stick at its lowest position. 

2. Turn on the remote control. You now have manual control over the main 

thrust motor and the servo-motors. 

Caution: The motor of the drone is now controlled by the remote 

control and will begin spinning if the left stick is pushed up. Always 

keep the area around the propeller clear of obstacles and body parts 

to prevent injury. 

3. Firmly grasp the eBee RTK horizontally with level wings using both hands, 

one hand on the front of each wing. Shake the drone back and forth 3 times 

longitudinally (within approx. 3 seconds). The status LED will pulse blue 

while the drone's autopilot performs a start-up sequence. As the motor 

is now controlled by the remote control, it will not begin spinning. Once 

the sequence is complete, the status LED will turn green (solid or blinking, 

depending on the angle at which you are holding the drone). 

153 
Advanced functionalities 

Caution: Taking off without performing the motor power-up sequence will result in the eBee RTK staying in Idle mode during the entire flight and is not recommended. The drone will no longer be able 

to enter automatic mode while in flight and must land using manual 

control. 

4. The eBee RTK is now ready for manual take-off. Orient yourself into the 

wind, and confirm that the take-off direction in front of you is free of obstacles. We recommend that you take off at full power and into the wind by 

setting the left stick to its highest position and releasing the drone when 

the status LED is solid green. 

8.4 Assisted Manual mode 

In Assisted Manual mode the sticks on the remote control set the desired speed, 

turn rate and climb or sink rate. These commands are then transferred to control 

signals for the individual actuators by the autopilot based on feedback from its 

sensors. This control scheme simplifies control of the eBee RTK. 

Caution: Though it may be easier to fly the eBee RTK manually when 

in Assisted Manual mode it remains dangerous and should be used 

with care. In particular, the pilot must still be aware of obstacles in the 

area, the altitude of the ground, the inversion of control commands 

when the drone is flying towards the pilot and the distance between 

the drone and the pilot. We recommend that you only try Assisted 

Manual mode when in a large open space with no obstacles and low 

wind. 

In this mode the left stick is used to set the desired speed of the eBee RTK. Setting the left stick between 10% and 100% sets a desired speed between 10.5 and 

20 m/s (20.4 and 39 nm/h). Setting the stick below 10% turns off the motor, allowing the drone to slowly descend in a glide. The drone may even engage reverse 

thrust to limit its speed during descent. 

The right stick is used to set the direction of flight of the eBee RTK. Moving the stick 

154 
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Manual control of the eBee RTK 

left or right will set a left or right roll angle of up to 45° Is, respectively. Moving 

the stick down will set a climb rate of up to 3.5 m!s (690ft/min). Moving the stick 

up will set a sink rate of up to 3.5 m/s (690ft/min). Releasing the right stick at any 

point will return the drone to a straight flight path at a constant altitude. 

It is not possible to take-off in Assisted Manual mode. You may only switch to 

Assisted Manual mode after completing the standard take-off procedure49• 

Caution: There is no clear indication during the take-off procedure 

that the eBee RTK will change to Assisted Manual mode rather than 

Circle Start Waypoint mode after the take-off transition altitude is 

reached50• Forth is reason we recommend that you do not turn on the 

remote control unless you are ready to manually control the drone 

right after take-off. 

To perform a manual landing we recommend the following procedure: 

1. The drone should always perform a linear landings into the wind. Face the 

downwind direction and confirm that there are no obstacles in an area of at 

least 100m (328ft) downwind and a width of20 m (66ft) in either direction 

from downwind. 

2. Set the drone to an altitude of around 50 m (164ft) from the landing altitude by moving the right stick up or down. 

3. Fly downwind until the drone is around 100m (328ft) away from the landing location. 

4. Turn the drone upwind and towards the landing location by moving the 

right stick left or right. 

5. Set the speed to a low value by moving the left stick down to around 25% 

of its maximum va!ue. 

6. Bring the drone closer to the ground by controlling the sink rate with the 

right stick. Keep the drone descending until it is around 5-10 m (16-33 ft) 

from the ground. 

49 as described in section 'Take-off' on page 59 

155 
i 

/ 

Advanced functionalities 

156 

7. Once the drone is around 5-10 m (16-33 ft) from the landing location, cut 

motor power using the left stick and allow the drone to glide down to the 

ground. 
) 

Part Ill 

Maintenance, Repair and 

Troubleshooting 
Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

9 Maintenance and repair of the eBee RTK 

9.1 

Goal of this section: This section describes how to update accompanying software and on-board firmware, keep your drone in good 

working condition and perform small repairs such as cracks in the airframe. 

Updating the eBee RTK's software and firmware 

Occasionally, senseFiy Ltd releases a software upgrade for the eBee RTK to provide 

additional features to our users or to correct potential issues. As of version 2.0.2, 

eMotion will check for new versions during start-up51 and will display a message 

with update instructions if a new version is available. We recommend, however, 

that you check my.senseFiy52 regularly for updates to ensure you have the latest 

version of the software. 

Caution: We are constantly working to improve the performance of 

our products and we are dedicated to providing our customers with 

the newest software as soon as it becomes available. Since the highest level of flight safety can only be achieved with the latest software 

release, sense Fly Ltd can only offer warranty service for products that 

have been properly updated. 

To upgrade eMotion or Postflight Terra 30 to the latest version, download the installer from my.senseFiy and follow the standard install procedure (see section 'Installing eMotion, Postflight Terra 30, and the ground modem drivers' on page 24). 

It is not necessary to uninstall previous version of eMotion before installing the 

new one. 

51 provided that there is an internet connection 52 http:! /my.sensefly.com 

158 
Maintenance and repair of the eBee RTK 

9.2 How to update the eBee RTK's firmware 

Every version of eMotion is packaged with an accompanying firmware revision 

which must be installed on the drone before it can be used. 

1. Connect the battery to the drone. 

2. Connect the USB cable between the computer on which you installed eMotion and the autopilot of the eBee RTK as shown in the figure. The connector 

is beside the camera connector and is marked with a Q icon. The status 

LED will turn white as soon as you connect the cable. 

3. Launch eMotion53 • 

connect USB cable 

to autopilot 

4. In eMotion, click the iii icon and select 'Updater eBee RTK ... ~ 

5. Click 'Update' to begin the updating process. Wait until the process is complete, which is indicated by the text 'File downloaded successfully~ 

53 you can also update without launching eMotion using the separate Updater eBee RTK program in 

the Windows Start or Apps menu 

159 
Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

0 Note: You may need to install a driver the first time you upgrade your 

firmware. The driver will be installed automatically but may cause the 

firmware update to fail. If this is the case, retry the update process by 

clicking 'Update' again, without disconnecting the battery or cable 

from the drone or closing the 'Updater eBee RTK' program. 

6. Disconnect the USB cable and the battery. 

It is important that both the drone and eMotion have the same software version 

for them to work properly together. Make sure that you keep both up-to-date. To 

check which version of eMotion you have installed, use the 'About eMotion .. : item 

in the 'Window' menu. The eBee RTK firmware version can be seen in the Flight 

Parameters tab once connected (see section 'Flight Parameters tab' on page 146). 

9.3 Cleaning and storage 

Use a damp cloth to wipe off dirt from the eBee RTK.In order to avoid structural deformation of the wing, it is recommended to store the drone either in its transport 

case or on a flat surface at room temperature. 

9.4 

Caution: Never bring the eBee RTK into direct contact with water, as 

this may damage the electronics within the drone airframe. 

Full airframe and sensor inspection 

Beyond the general airframe inspection that is performed before every flight, we 

recommend that you perform a full airframe and sensor inspection regularly to 

keep your drone in good operating condition. 

160 

Caution: The autopilot, sensors and actuators within the Central 

Body of the eBee RTK are specially calibrated and should only be 

modified by your eBee RTK reseller. Opening the Central Body of the 

eBee RTK will void the warranty. 
I 

J 

Maintenance and repair of the eBee RTK 

The inspection includes the following checks: 

Check 1: Motor and Servos 

The eBee RTK uses a brush less DC motor to turn its propeller and generate thrust. 

The servos are the two actuators connected through a servo connection mechanism to both ailerons. Damaged actuators can prevent the drone from flying 

correctly and thus it is important to ensure their proper functioning. 

To check the actuators, follow these steps: 

1. The motor must be clean and spin smoothly without friction to function 

correctly. Ensure that there is no sand or other obstructions within the motor. If there is something blocking the motor from spinning smoothly blow 

some air through the motor to dislodge the obstruction. 

2. Make sure the left stick of the remote control is all the way down to keep 

the motor off54• Place the eBee RTK at the edge of a flat surface and keep 

the area around the propeller clear. 

54 see section 'Manual control of the eBee RTK' on page 150 for details on using the remote control 

161 
Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

Caution: The propeller on the eBee RTK spins at high speeds and can 

cause deep cuts if it comes into contact with exposed skin. Always 

wear gloves and glasses when any work is done requiring the battery 

to be connected to the drone. 

3. Switch the drone on by connecting the battery. 

4. Connect to eMotion. Ensure that 'Manual control mode' is set to 'Full Manual control' and that the 'Ignore RC signals' setting is not checkedss. 

5. Switch the remote control on. 

6. Move the right stick on the remote control and check the aileron motion. 

The ailerons must smoothly and quickly follow the stick. When the stick is 

not moved, the ailerons must stay still. When travelling from one end to the 

other, fast or slow, the ailerons must smoothly follow without twitching. 

7. Hold down the drone against the flat surface with one hand to prevent it 

from moving. Gently move the left stick on the remote control to spin up 

the motor and propeller. The motor should run smoothly without making 

excessive noise. 

8. When done, switch the remote control off. 

In case of doubt, take a short video and follow the instructions in section 'Reporting a problem with your eBee RTK' on page 193 for advice. 

Check 2: Inertial sensors 

The inertial sensors are used by the autopilot to compute the attitude (i.e. its orientation in space) of the drone. The attitude is displayed by the artificial horizon 

in the Flight Monitoring tab of eMotion. To check the inertial sensors, follow these 

steps: 

1. Switch the eBee RTK on by connecting the battery and connect to eMotion. 

55 see section 'Flight Parameters tab' on page 146 for more details on these settings 

162 
Maintenance and repair of the eBee RTK 

2. Put the drone on a flat surface (typically an office floor) and check that the 

artificial horizon is level. 

3. Take the drone with your hand and put it in different orientation. Make sure 

that the artificial horizon displays the corresponding orientation. 

The artificial horizon should follow smoothly the motion of the eBee RTK and it 

should not drift when the drone is not moving. In case of doubt, take a short video 

and follow the instructions in section 'Reporting a problem with your eBee RTK' on 

page 193 for advice. 

Check 3: Barometric pressure sensor 

The barometric pressure sensor is used to measure the altitude from the take-off 

location. To check it, follow these steps: 

1. Switch the eBee RTK on by connecting the battery and connect to eMotion. 

2. Move the drone from your feet to above your head (about 2m (7ft) altitude 

variation). 

3. Check the altitude on the vertical bar right of the artificial horizon or in the 

Status Panel next to the drone icon on the map). 

The displayed altitude should follow the drone motion, i.e. if the drone is raised 

by 2 m (7ft), the altitude reading should increase by about 2 m (7ft). When the 

drone is not moving, the altitude reading may slowly drift by up to ±10m (±33ft). 

Check 4: Air speed sensor 

The air speed sensor is connected to the pitot probe by a pair of tubes. To check 

it, follow these steps: 

1. Visually check the pitot probe. Make sure that it is properly fixed to the 

airframe and that both tubes are properly attached and not damaged). The 

holes in the probe must be clear and free of dirt or other small obstructions. 

2. Switch the drone on by connecting the battery and connect to eMotion. 

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Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

3. Gently blow into the front opening of the pitot tube from a distance of 

around 5 em (2 in). The airflow direction should match the natural flow 

experienced in flight. 

4. Check the air speed displayed on the vertical bar left of the artificial horizon. 

At rest, the displayed air speed should be close to zero (it may drift up to about 

2 m/s (4 nm/h)). When blowing in the pitot probe there should be an air speed 

indicated in the 'Flight Monitoring' tab of eMotion that should easily reach values 

above 8 m/s (16 nm/h). 

Check 5: Ground sensor 

The ground sensor is composed of a high-speed optical sensor and a lens assembly. The lens assembly must be clean and unobstructed for the sensor to work 

correctly. 

9.5 Repairing the eBee RTK airframe 

Small repairs of cracks in the airframe can be done using contact glue such as 

UHU® POR glue. Take care to use only contact glues that are specifically designed 

for Expanded Polypropylene (EPP). If you have doubts about the extent of the 

damage, always contact your eBee RTK reseller to verify if the damage can be easily repaired by yourself or if you need to send your drone in for repair to. 

Caution: Never fly your eBee RTK if it has cracks in the airframe. 

9.6 Re-attaching the GNSS/RTK Antenna 

sense Fly supplies eBee RTK with its GNSS antenna attached and strongly recommends that you do not try and detach the antenna. 

164 

Caution: Only remove the antenna if absolutely necessary or if instructed to by sense Fly support or your reseller. 
\ 

Maintenance and repair of the eBee RTK 

If you do need to remove the antenna, when re-attaching it: 

• Make sure the screw threads on the antenna and on your eBee RTK are both 

undamaged and free of liquid, grit, dust and dirt. 

• Screw the GNSS antenna gently and carefully onto its connector. Take care 

not to cross the screw thread. 

• Tighten the antenna firmly but with finger force only. Do not overtighten. 

• Once screwed on correctly, the initials RTK will be in line with the word 

eBee. 

0 Note: Your drone will raise a take-off veto and refuse to start its motor if the antenna is not attached. The Section 'Take-off vetoes' on 

page 172 describes the possible messages and the user action that 

should be taken to remove them. 

9.7 Proper battery care 

Proper care of your eBee RTK's battery is important to prevent damage to your 

drone and to maximize flight time. With a fully charged battery, the drone will fly 

165 
- ' ) 

Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

for about 40 minutes. Frequent altitude changes, presence of wind, use of old 

batteries and/or frequent photo acquisition may significantly reduce the flight 

endurance. Batteries perform better at medium or high air temperature and it 

is normal to observe shorter flight times in cold weather. 

The eBee RTK is powered by a Lithium Polymer (LiPo) battery composed of three 

cells connected in series. A single LiPo cell can have a range between 3 V (empty) 

and 4.2 V (full) in its normal operating range. This results in an empty battery 

voltage of 9 V and a fully-charged battery voltage of 12.6 V. A well-balanced and 

healthy battery should have all three cells at a voltage very close to each other 

and between 3 and 4.2 V. 

The charger delivered with your drone automatically checks for healthy voltages 

of all three cells and only attempts charging if they are within limits. If the cells 

are out of balance, the charger will take care of balancing them. If the charger 

detects a voltage outside of the allowable range it will indicate an error either by 

flashing the status LED red, or by the LED staying off. This means that the battery 

is over-discharged and should be discarded. 

Caution: The batteries delivered with your drone are designed to be 

charged with the charger delivered with your eBee RTK. sense Fly Ltd 

cannot be held responsible for any consequences resulting from using a different charger. In particular, using a charger improperly configured or designed for other types of batteries may lead the battery 

pack to be permanently damaged or to catch on fire. 

LiPo batteries do not exhibit any memory effect. We recommend that you always 

fully charge them after use even when they are only partially discharged. When 

not using the battery store it in the carrying case provided with your drone. Avoid 

leaving the battery in direct sunlight. 

166 
I 

j 

Maintenance and repair of the eBee RTK 

Caution: If any of the cells of your battery pack are overly discharged 

the battery may be irreversibly damaged and becomes dangerous to 

charge. If the battery grows beyond its regular size or if any of the 

cells are punctured it is also likely damaged and should be discarded. 

Forcefully charging a damaged battery may lead it to take fire. Do 

not attempt to charge an over-discharged or damaged battery. 

Dispose of the battery safely. 

167 
Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

10 Troubleshooting 

Goal of this section: This section describes the various error messages that may be displayed during start-up or while the eBee RTK is 

in flight and provides some tips on solving the simplest problems. In 

the case of a more serious problem, this section describes how to prepare the required data on the problem and report it to your eBee RTK 

reseller. 

The eBee RTK can generate several types of error messages depending on its flight 

mode. Some of these messages are minor and simply need to be acknowledged 

through eMotion, whereas others require more specific action from the user. As 

long as the drone is connected to eMotion, error messages will appear in the Status 

Panel in the Map Area, as well as in the Drone Status panel of the Flight Monitoring 

tab. 

ACK 

WARNING 

Status 

Panel 

I !] Drone 

;I Status 

' 

!I 

Error messages are divided into four categories: Pre-flight errors, Take-off vetoes, 

In-flight warnings and Critical failures. 

168 
) 

Troubleshooting 

1 0.1 Pre-flight errors 

As soon as the battery is connected to the drone it performs a series of pre-flight 

checks to thoroughly test its on-board systems. The start-up process is described 

in detail in section 'Preparing the eBee RTK for flight' on page 46. If an error occurs 

during these pre-flight checks the status LED will blink red and a description of the 

error will appear in eMotion. In most cases, re-connecting the battery will suffice 

to remove the error. Table 3 presents all the Pre-flight errors that may occur and 

possible actions to fix the error. If the problem is related to the firmware in the 

on-board autopilot, try re-loading the firmware using instructions in section 'Updating the eBee RTK's software and firmware' on page 158. If an error persists after 

reconnecting the battery several times we recommend you report the problem by 

following the instructions in section 'Reporting a problem with your eBee RTK' on 

page 193. 

Incorrect firmware 

detected 

Battery too low for 

take-off 

Drone flight log 

memory full 

Table 3: Pre-flight errors 

There is an error with the current version of the 

firmware in the eBee RTK's autopilot. 

User action: Re-load the correct firmware 56• 

The battery level is too low to perform a take-off. 

User action: Re-connect a fully-charged battery. 

The memory card used to store the Drone flight log is 

fu!l. 

User action: Empty the memory card by following 

the instructions in section 'Obtaining your images 

and flight data' on page 66. 

56 see section 'Updating the eBee RTK's software and firmware' on page 158 

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Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

Pitot malfunction A high airspeed was detected while on the ground. 

User action: Be sure to protect the drone from the 

wind and re-connect the battery. If the problem persists, perform Check 4 in section 'Full airframe and 

sensor inspection' on page 160. If this does not solve 

the problem contact your eBee RTK reseller. 

High current A too high current was detected, which may be 

caused by an internal problem. 

User action: Re-connect the battery. If the problem 

occurs twice, contact your eBee RTK reseller. 

Magnetometer There is an error with the drone's magnetic field senmalfunction sor. 

User action: Re-connect the battery. If the problem 

persists, contact your eBee RTK reseller. 

EEPROM There is an error with the memory chip of the drone's 

malfunction autopilot. 

User action: Re-connect the battery. If the problem 

persists, contact your eBee RTK reseller. 

Barometer There is an error with the drone's barometer. 

malfunction User action: Be sure to place the drone on a flat 

surface, reconnect the battery and do not move the 

drone until pre-flight checks are complete. If the 

problem persists, perform Check 3 in section 'Full airframe and sensor inspection' on page 160. If this 

does not solve the problem contact your eBee RTK reseller. 

170 
De-calibrated 

INS or Attitude 

malfunction 

Ground sensor 

malfunction 

Invalid flight 

controller gains 

Troubleshooting 

The orientation sensors were not calibrated correctly. 

User action: Be sure to place the drone on a flat 

surface, reconnect the battery and do not move the 

drone until pre-flight checks are complete. If the 

problem persists, perform Check 2 in section 'Full airframe and sensor inspection' on page 160. If this 

does not solve the problem contact your eBee RTK reseller. 

There is an error with the drone's ground sensor. 

User action: Ensure that the ground sensor on the 

bottom of the drone is clear of debris and is not damaged, then re-connect the battery. If the problem 

persists, perform Check 4 in section 'Full airframe and 

sensor inspection' on page 160. If this does not solve 

the problem contact your eBee RTK reseller. 

There is an error with the firmware in the drone's autopilot. 

User action: Re-connect the battery. If the problem 

persists, contact your eBee RTK reseller. 

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Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

1 0.2 Take-off vetoes 

After successfully completing pre-flight checks the status LED becomes a solid 

green to indicate that the drone is ready for take-off. At this point the eBee RTK 

continues to monitor its sensors and battery level. If at any point the drone detects 

a condition that prevents it from beginning the automatic take-off procedure it 

displays a Take-off veto in eMotion and the status LED changes to a blue pulse. 

Once the Take-off veto is cleared the status LED returns to a solid green colour to 

indicate that the drone is ready for take-off. 

Table 4 on the following page presents all the Take-off vetoes that may occur and 

possible actions to remove the veto. If a veto persists after performing the suggested action, we recommend you report the problem by following the instructions in section 'Reporting a problem with your eBee RTK' on page 193. 

172 
Drone not 

horizontal (roll or 

pitch) 

Motor is blocked 

Battery too low for 

take-off 

Wings not 

detected 

USB cable 

detected 

RTK source not defined 

Troubleshooting 

Table 4: Take-off vetos 

The eBee RTK must be held horizontally with level 

wings to initiate take-off. 

User action: Hold the drone horizontally. 

Excessive current was detected from the motor. 

User action: Check that the propeller is mounted 

correctly and that the motor is freely turning and try 

the take-off procedure again. 

The drone requires a fully-charged battery for the 

take-off procedure. 

User action: Change the battery. 

The drone's wings are not attached correctly or the 

wing struts are damaged. 

User action: Ensure that the wings are fully inserted 

into the main body and that the wing struts are 

not damaged, as described in section 'Preparing the 

eBee RTK for flight' on page 46. 

The eBee RTK has detected a USB cable connected to 

the drone's autopilot. 

User action: Remove the USB cable before take-off. 

You have chosen a flight mode that requires RTK correction data, but none is available. 

User action: Check that your GNSS/RTK base station 

is powered on and connected to the computer that 

is running eMotion. 

Check that you have selected the correct base station 

connection type and parameters in eMotion. 

Check that you have set up and, if necessary, logged 

in to your VRS stream. 

173 
Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

10.3 In-flight warnings 

While it is in flight the eBee RTK can generate two types of errors: warnings and 

failures. In-flight warnings occur when there is an event that requires user attention but does not compromise the drone's ability to continue flying. 

When an In-flight warning is activated the warning will appear in yellow in eMotion and cause the 'WARNING' button in the Control Bar to change to 'ACK WARNING; turn yellow and activate. The drone will then perform a Security action depending on the active In-flight warning. Some In-flight warnings simply need to 

be acknowledged by clicking on the 'ACK WARNING' button. Others require action by the user before the warning is cleared and the drone can return to full 

functionality. The full list of possible In-flight warnings and required User actions 

can be found in table 5 on the next page. 

The In-flight warnings marked with a * can have their Security actions disabled, 

whereas the In-flight warnings marked with a** can have both the warning and 

the Security action disabled. See section 'Flight Parameters tab' on page 146 for 

instructions on disabling warnings and Security actions. 

174 

Caution: The Security action for most In-flight warnings is to fly back 

to the Home waypoint (if Circular landing is selected) or the Home 

waypoint (if linear landing is selected). As soon as this Security action 

is triggered the drone will fly in the direction of the selected landing 

waypoint while climbing or descending to the waypoint's altitude. 

It is thus important to ensure that there are no obstacles above the 

altitude of the selected landing waypoint within the entire flight area 

to prevent a collision resulting from this Security action. 
Failure occurred: 

(failure 

description) 

Low battery 

Troubleshooting 

Table 5: In-flight warnings 

This warning ensures that the user is aware that a 

Critical failure has occurred even if it is no longer active57. 

Security action: The eBee RTK flies towards the 

Home waypoint at an altitude defined by the Home 

waypoint's Change altitude parameter (by default, 

set to 'Highest'). 

User action: Ensure that the failure condition is no 

longer present before acknowledging the error and 

continuing normal operation. 

The remaining battery level is too low to continue the 

flight plan. 

Security action: The eBee RTK flies towards the 

Home waypoint at an altitude defined by the Home 

waypoint's Change altitude parameter (by default, 

set to 'Highest') and automatically initiates an expedited landing procedure (without performing a full 

wind estimation) once it reaches the waypoint. 

User action: Land as soon as possible. Re-charge the 

drone battery before performing another flight. 

57 see section 'Critical failures' on page 188 for a description of possible Critical failures 

175 
Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

Drone flight log 

malfunction 

Flight controller 

malfunction 

Camera sync 

malfunction 

176 

There is an error saving data to the on-board memory card which will prevent the images from being 

geo-tagged. Images may still be geo-tagged using 

the eMotion Flight Log file but may be less precise. 

Security action: The drone continues normal flight. 

User action: Land as soon as possible. Once on the 

ground, connect to the on-board memory card as described in section 'Obtaining your images and flight 

data' on page 66 and re-format the memory card. 

The flight controller has encountered an unexpected 

state, such as an incorrect waypoint type. 

Security action: The drone flies towards the Home 

waypoint at an altitude defined by the Home waypoint's Change altitude parameter (by default, set to 

'Highest'). 

User action: Land as soon as possible and re-start 

the drone. If the problem persists, contact your 

eBee RTK reseller. 

There is a problem with the wiring of the on-board 

camera. 

Security action: If required parameter set in the 

Flight Parameters tab, the drone flies towards the 

Home waypoint at an altitude defined by the Home 

waypoint's Change altitude parameter (by default, 

set to 'Highest'). Otherwise it continues its mission 

without taking further images. 

User action: Land as soon as possible and re-start 

the drone. Reset the camera settings as described 

in section 'Resetting default camera settings' on 

page 191. 
Camera power 

malfunction 

Barometer 

malfunction 

Troubleshooting 

The camera is no longer responding, most likely because it is no longer powered. 

Security action: If required parameter set in the 

Flight Parameters tab, the drone flies towards the 

Home waypoint at an altitude defined by the Home 

waypoint's Change altitude parameter (by default, 

set to 'Highest'). Otherwise it continues its mission 

without taking further images. 

User action: Land as soon as possible. Check thecable connection between the camera and the drone 

and charge all the batteries before performing anotherflight. 

The barometer used to sense the current altitude is 

malfunctioning. 

Security action: The drone flies towards the Home 

waypoint at an altitude defined by the Home 

waypoint's Change altitude parameter (by default, 

set to 'Highest') using altitude calculated from 

GPS/GLONASS signals only, potentially causing large 

fluctuations in altitude. 

User action: Land as soon as possible and perform 

Check 3 in section 'Full airframe and sensor inspection' on page 160. 

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Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

Motor 

malfunction 

Battery 

malfunction 

The motor is drawing too little or too much current. 

This may be caused by damaged wires or connectors 

leading to the motor or by sand or other debris within 

the motor. 

Security action: The drone attempts to re-start the 

motor. If the first attempt fails a Failure: Motor malfunction Critical failure is announced58. 

User action: Land as soon as possible and perform 

Check 1 in section 'Full airframe and sensor inspection' on page 160. 

The sensor used to measure the battery voltage and 

current is registering invalid values, indicating that 

the sensor is de-calibrated or damaged. 

Security action: The drone flies towards the Home 

waypoint at an altitude defined by the Home waypoint's Change altitude parameter (by default, set to 

'Highest'). 

User action: Land as soon as possible and re-start 

the drone. If the problem persists, contact your 

eBee RTK reseller. 

56 see section 'Critical failures' on page 188 

178 
) 

Troubleshooting 

Airspeed The differential pressure sensor used to measure airmalfunction speed is registering invalid values. This may be due 

to a damaged sensor or to a clogged pitot probe. 

Security action: The drone flies towards the Home 

waypoint at an altitude defined by the Home waypoint's Change altitude parameter (by default, set to 

'Highest') at a constant thrust value instead of controlled speed, potentially resulting in low or high 

flight speeds depending on wind. Once it reaches the 

Home waypoint it initiates a landing procedure. 

User action: Try to provide a maximum amount of 

approach sectors to ensure that the drone can land 

against the direction of the wind. Land as soon as 

possible and perform Check4 in section 'Full airframe 

and sensor inspection' on page 160. 

Low airspeed Detected airspeed is unusually low or close to zero. 

This may be due to a collision with the ground or a 

clogged airspeed sensor. 

Security action: The drone shuts off its motor and 

tries to continue its mission. 

User action: If the warning is due to a clogged airspeed sensor it may be due to moisture in the air. 

Try commanding the drone to descend closer to the 

ground and out of any cloud cover. 

179 
Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

Overs peed Detected airspeed is unusually high, possibly due to 

a loss of control. 

Security action: The drone applies a 50% reverse 

thrust to try to slow down. 

User action: Keep track of the drone's position in 

case it is unable to slow back down to a regular airspeed. 

Ground sensor The ground sensor used to detect the proximity of 

malfunction the ground is malfunctioning. 

Security action: The drone continues normal flight. 

User action: Land as soon as possible and perform 

Check 5 in section 'Full airframe and sensor inspection' on page 160. 

Wings detection The sensor used to detect the presence of the wings 

malfunction malfunctioning. 

Security action: The drone continues normal flight. 

User action: Land as soon as possible and inspect 

the wing struts as described in section 'Preparing the 

eBee RTK for flight' on page 46. 

180 
Troubleshooting 

Temperature out The temperature sensor on the drone is registering 

of working levels internal temperatures of less than -50° C or more 

than 90° C. This may occur in extremely hot or cold 

environments or if the on-board autopilot is damaged. 

Security action: The drone flies towards the Home 

waypoint at an altitude defined by the Home waypoint's Change altitude parameter (by default, set to 

'Highest'). 

User action: Land as soon as possible. If the outside temperature is above 35°C or below -1 0°(, disconnect the battery and wait until the temperature 

changes to within these limits. 

Above working The drone has passed the vertical boundary of the 

area ceiling working area, defined by the working area ceiling. 

This may occur if waypoint altitudes are set close to 

or outside the working area or due to strong wind. 

Security action: The drone flies towards the Home 

waypoint at an altitude defined by the Home waypoint's Change altitude parameter (by default, set to 

'Highest'). It also turns off its motor as long as it remains above the working area ceiling. 

User action: Limit the altitude of all waypoints to 

less than the working area ceiling. 

181 
Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

Out of working The drone has passed the lateral boundary of the 

area radius working area, defined by the working area radius. 

This may occur ifwaypoints are set close to or outside 

of the working area or due to strong wind. 

Security action: The drone flies towards the Home 

waypoint at an altitude defined by the Home waypoint's Change altitude parameter (by default, set to 

'Highest'). 

User action: Limit the planned flight path within the 

working area boundaries. 

Far outside of The drone has passed far outside of the working area. 

working area This may be caused by very high winds or due to mechanica I failure. 

Security action: The drone tries to orient itself in the 

direction ofthe Home waypoint and begins descending immediately until it lands on the ground or returns within the working area. 

User action: Keep track of the location of the drone 

during landing. If the drone lands outside of view follow the instructions in section 'Losing and locating 

your eBee RTK in the field' on page 192. 

182 
Poor 

GPS/GLONASS 

coverage* 

Troubleshooting 

GPS/GLONASS signal coverage is low. This may be 

due to mountains or tall buildings blocking satellite 

signals. If coverage degrades any more a Critical failure will be activated and an emergency landing will 

be initiateds9

• 

Security action (if enabled): The drone flies towards the Home waypoint at an altitude defined by 

the Home waypoint's Change altitude parameter (by 

default, set to 'Highest'). 

User action: If this occurs once or twice, click 'ACK 

WARNING' and continue normal flight. lfthis warning 

appears more often, land as soon as possible and wait 

for better conditions for satellite signal reception. Alternatively, move away from objects that may disturb 

satellite signals such as mountains or cellular antennas. 

59 see section 'Critical failures' on page 188 

183 
Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

Data uplink lost** 

(if enabled) 

184 

This warning occurs if the eBee RTK does not receive 

any data from eMotion for more than 30 s. This can be 

due to a large distance between drone and ground 

station, a problem with the USB ground modem, antenna positioning or interference. Having lost RTK 

corrections during this period, your drone will geotag 

images with less accurate, interpolated values until 

the connection returns. 

Security action (if enabled}: The drone flies towards the Home waypoint at an altitude defined by 

the Home waypoint's Change altitude parameter (by 

default, set to Highest). 

User action: Try to improve radio signal quality by 

following the instructions in section 'Improving radio 

signal communication' on page 191. 
/ 

Ground proximity 

detected** 

(if enabled) 

Troubleshooting 

The ground sensor on the drone has detected a 

ground height above the ground of less than 30 m 

(98 ft) during normal flight. Note: this feature 

should not be depended on for avoiding obstacles, as the ground sensor may fail to detect obstacles in certain environmental conditions60• 

Security action (if enabled): The drone circles the 

current position while climbing to an altitude of 60 m 

(197 ft) above the detected ground height. Once 

this altitude is reached the drone continues towards 

the next waypoint but sets the waypoint's target altitude at 60 m (197ft) above the last detected ground 

height. 

User action: Ensure that there are no obstacles such 

as hills or buildings higher than the waypoints of your 

flight plan. 

60 see section 'Linear landing' on page 94 

185 
\. 

/ 

Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

Ground proximity The ground sensor on the eBee RTKwas unable to denot detected teet the proximity of the ground during a Linear landlanding precision ing procedure. This may be due to an obstruction in 

decreased** the sensor, low ambient light or low contrast in the 

environment61 . 

Security action: The drone continues the Linear 

landing procedure but will initiate its final brake at 

an estimated altitude of 20 m (66ft) instead of 3 m 

(10ft) (assuming the Linear landing location is at the 

same altitude at the Take-off location), resulting in 

decreased precision in the landing location. 

User action: Be ready for the drone to overshoot 

its planning Linear landing location by preparing a 

larger obstacle-free zone around the location. 

Back wind, There are no approach sectors available against the 

landing precision direction of the wind. The eBee RTK has calculated a 

decreased*** Linear landing approach direction in the direction of 

(in blue) the wind. 

Security action: The eBee RTK continues normal 

flight. 

User action: Add a new approach sector against the 

direction of the wind, if possible, abort the landing 

and try landing again. If not, be readyforthe eBee RTK 

to overshoot its planning Linear landing location by 

preparing a larger obstacle-free zone around the location. 

61 see section 'Linear landing' on page 94 

186 
\ 

I 

Troubleshooting 

Strong wind* The wind is too strong for the eBee RTK to navigate 

safely. 

Security action (if enabled): The eBee RTK flies towards the Home waypoint at an altitude defined by 

the Home waypoint's Change altitude parameter (by 

default, set to 'Highest'). 

User action: Land as soon as possible and wait for 

better flight conditions. 

Cannot maintain The eBee RTK cannot maintain the altitude that is 

altitude commanded by the flight controller. This may be due 

to a damaged motor, airframe or ailerons or a strong 

vertical wind. 

Security action: The drone continues normal flight. 

User action: If the condition persists during a flight, 

land and wait for the wind to decrease, as explained 

in section 'Weather check' on page 45. If the problem occurs in low-wind conditions perform Check 2 

in section 'Full airframe and sensor inspection' on 

page 160. 

187 
Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

Pitch or Roll 

instability 

The orientation sensors on the eBee RTK detected unusually high pitch or roll values even after performing stabilization. This may be due to strong winds or 

damaged airframe. 

Security action: The drone continues normal flight 

while trying to stabilize the pitch as much as possible. 

User action: If the condition persists during a flight, 

land and wait for the wind to decrease, as explained 

in section 'Weather check' on page 45. If the problem occurs in low-wind conditions perform Check 2 

in section 'Full airframe and sensor inspection' on 

page 160. 

1 0.4 Critical failures 

A critical failure is an error that occurs in flight that prevents the continuation 

of normal flight. This is the most serious type of error that can occur with the 

eBee RTK, and is indicated in red in eMotion. The 'WARNING' button in the Control 

Bar changes to 'CRITICAL FAILURE; becomes red and cannot be acknowledged. 

When a critical failure occurs flight is aborted and the drone initiates an Emergency action in which it is immediately directed to the ground. The Emergency 

action for each Critical failure is designed to minimize the airspeed and thus impact energy with the ground using the sensors that are still functioning. 

Table 6 on the next page describes the critical failures that may occur and what 

action is taken by the drone. In some cases it may be possible to manually control 

the drone using the remote control62• If such a critical failure occurs that results 

in an Emergency landing we recommend that you keep track of the drone's last 

62 see section 'Manual control ofthe eBee RTK' on page 150 

188 
Troubleshooting 

known position in the air and in eMotion if possible and follow the instructions in 

section 'Losing and locating your eBee RTK in the field' on page 192. 

Failure: loss of 

GPS/GLONASS 

signals 

Failure: empty 

battery 

Failure: INS 

malfunction 

Table 6: Critical failures 

Your eBee RTK can no longer calculate its position, 

making it impossible for it to know where it is and 

thus to navigate. 

Emergency action: The drone turns off its motor, 

sets a bank angle and glides in a large circle towards 

the ground. If there is a strong wind the drone may 

be pushed far from its current position. If satellite signals are re-acquired the drone will abort the landing 

procedure and go to the Home waypoint. 

The battery is completely empty. 

Emergency action: The drone turns off its motor 

and glides towards the ground in the direction of the 

Home waypoint. This error is always preceded by a 

Low battery In-flight warning. 

There is a failure with the orientation sensors which 

makes it impossible for the drone to stabilise itself 

and thus initiate a gliding emergency landing. 

Emergency action: The drone turns off its motor 

and fully deflects its ailerons which results in an uncontrolled descent with limited impact energy (deep 

stall or spin). 

189 
) 

Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

Failure: motor The motor is not working even after an attempted 

malfunction re-start commanded by a Motor malfunction In-flight 

warning. 

Emergency action: The drone orients itself in the directi on of the Home waypoint and glides towards the 

ground while continuously trying to re-start the motor. If motor re-start is successful the drone cancels 

the landing and flies towards the Home waypoint at 

an altitude defined by the Home waypoint's Change 

altitude parameter (by default, set to 'Highest'). 

Failure: CPU Over- The autopilot processor is overloaded and can no 

load longer control flight. The drone turns off its motor 

and fully deflects its ailerons which results in an uncontrolled descent with limited impact energy (deep 

stall or spin). 

190 
\ 

) 

Troubleshooting 

1 0.5 Resetting default camera settings 

In case of unwanted configuration changes, the camera can be re-configured to 

a suitable state. Please refer to your camera user manual for the procedure. You 

can find camera manuals in our Knowledge Base within my.senseFiy63 

10.6 Improving radio signal communication 

You may occasionally lose the data connection between eMotion and your eBee RTK 

while in the field. Whether there is a loss in uplink or downlink communication, 

the drone will continue flying along its Flight Plan and should re-establish the 

connection as it flies closer to the base station or changes direction. 

If the drone stops receiving messages from eMotion (uplink direction) for more 

than 30 s you will see a 'Data uplink lost' In-flight warning appear in eMotion. 

If for safety reasons you would like the eBee RTK to automatically return to the 

Home waypoint when this warning appears, select the corresponding option in 

the Flight Parameters tab64. 

If there are no more messages received by eMotion from the drone (downlink direction), a 'Data downlink lost' message will appear in eMotion. lfthere is still an 

active uplink connection you may still command your drone to return to the Home 

waypoint using the Control Bar. 

Data connection range can be effected by many external factors such as antenna 

height, terrain and obstacles or radio interference. We recommend the following 

tips to improve the range of your connection in the field: 

1. Place the USB ground modem as high as possible (for example, on top of 

a car, ladder or nearby building). A height of at least 2 m (7ft) is recommended. 

2. Ensure that the USB ground modem's antenna is pointing straight up. 

63 http:/ /my.sensefly.com 64 see section 'Flight Parameters tab' on page 146 for more details 

191 
Maintenance, Repair and Troubleshooting 

3. Disable any 2.4 GHz-based communication devices (or put them into 'Airplane mode') in the vicinity of the USB ground modem. This includes all 

Wifi and Bluetooth devices such as the ground station computer or mobile 

phones. 

The strength of the connection between the drone and eMotion is indicated in 

the Flight Monitoring tab65• The three LEDs next to the antenna on the ground 

modem also indicate the strength of the connection. The connection is strongest 

when all three LEDs are a solid red, and weakest when a single LED is blinking. 

10.7 Losing and locating your eBee RTK in the field 

We recommend that you write your address and phone number on your eBee RTK 

(by putting your business card on top of the camera for example) in case it gets 

lost and subsequently found by a third party. In case you lose your drone in the 

field for whatever reason, whether from a loss of communications, a Critical failure 

or an accidental collision, use the following steps to try to recover it: 

1. Do not disconnect the connection in eMotion! If it is simply out of communication range the drone should reconnect automatically as it returns to 

the Home waypoint after completing its mission. 

2. Note the last known location of the drone in eMotion by printing the screen 

or writing down the location displayed in the Flight Monitoring tab. 

3. Move towards this last known direction with the computer running eMotion in the hope of regaining a connection. Be sure to take the remote control with you as well. 

4. If you have reached the last known location of your drone and have not yet 

found it, turn on the remote control. 

5. Try moving both the control sticks around. If the drone is within range it 

may start making noise with its main motor or servo motors. 

65 see section 'Flight Monitoring tab' on page 121 

192 
) 

Troubleshooting 

6. Try moving downwind from the last known location in case the drone was 

pushed by the wind while still in the air. 

1 0.8 Reporting a problem with your eBee RTK 

If there is a problem with your eBee RTK, whether it is a software malfunction, 

damaged airframe or any other problem, we recommend the following actions: 

1. If there is an error message displayed in eMotion, begin by checking section 

'Troubleshooting' on page 168 to see if there is a solution to the particular 

message. 

2. Check our Knowledge Base, part of my.senseFiy66, to see if there is a solution to your problem. 

3. If you have still not found a solution, contact your eBee RTK reseller. Please 

include the following information with your inquiry: 

0 

• The serial number of your drone, in the format EB-XX-XXX. You can 

find this number inside the battery enclosure. Please include this serial number in the subject line of your message. 

• A short description of the problem. 

• The Drone Flight Log tile (.bbx) of the flight that had a problem67. 

• The eMotion Flight Log (.efl) tile of the flight that had a problem. You 

can find this tile in the eMotion/logs/ directory which is created in 

My Documents on Windows. 

• Photos or video of the eBee RTK airframe, if required. 

Note: In order to provide support, senseFiy may request the flight 

log tiles for inspection. 

66 http://my.sensefly.com 67 see section 'Obtaining your images and flight data' on page 66 for information on retrieving this file 

from the eBee RTK 

193 
Part IV 

Specifications 
Specifications 

1 Software requirements 

eMotion has the following minimum software requirements: 

Operating system 

Hardware 

Screen 

Microsoft Windows 7 I 8 

1.6 GHz processor 

2GB RAM 

500 MB free storage space 

recommended resolution: 1920 x 1 080 

visible outdoors 

Postflight Terra 30 has the following minimum software requirements: 

Operating system 

Hardware 

Screen 

196 

Microsoft Windows 7 I 8, 64-bit only 

1.6 GHz processor (2 GHz Intel i5li7 IX eon recommended) 

4GB RAM (16GB recommended for large projects) 

1 0 GB free storage space (1 TB recommended for large 

projects) 

min. resolution: 1024x768 
\ 

) 

Drone specifications 

2 Drone specifications 

Size Wingspan: 96 em (38 in) 

Wing area: 0.25 m2 (2.7 sq ft) 

Weight without camera and battery approx. 0.46 kg (1.01 lbs) 

Nominal take-off weight (approx.) 0.72 kg (1.591bs) 

(with standard camera & battery) 

Maximum take-off weight 0.75 kg (1.65 lbs) 

Material EPP foam, carbon structure & composite parts 

Battery 3-cell Lithium-Polymer (0.14 kg) 

Nominal endurance (flight time) 68 40 minutes 

(with standard camera) 

Propulsion Electric brush less motor 

Nominal static thrust: 0.63 kgf (6.2 N) 

Nominal cruise speed 40-90 km/h (11-25 m/s, 25-56 mph, 21-

49 nm/h) 

Wind resistance up to 45 km/h (12 m/s, 23 nm/h) 

Max. single flightcoverage69 8 km2 (3 sq mi) 

(on a single battery charge) 

68 can vary greatly depending on external factors such as wind, altitude change and temperature. 69 calculated based on the following test conditions: GSD of 30 em (11.8 in) per pixel, no wind, moderate air temp. (18 C/64.4 F), new fully-charged battery, flight altitude of 1,000 m (3,280 ft) above 

ground & take off at approx. sea level from centre of coverage area. 

197 
) 

Specifications 

Communication devices Ground modem: 

• Frequency: 2.4 GHz 

• Range70: approx. 3 kmUp to 3 km (1.9 miles) 

• Certification: FCC Part 15.247, IC RSS21 0, CE 

Remote control: 

• Frequency: 2.4 GHz 

• Range: approx. 1 km 

• Certification: CE, FCC 

Navigation Up to 50 waypoints 

GSD (per pixel) Down to 5 em (2.0 in) 

Absolute horizontal Down to 3 em (1.2 in) 

accuracy (no GCPs required) 

Absolute vertical Down to 5 em (2.0 in) 

accuracy (no GCPs required) 

Relative orthomosaic! 1-3 times GSD 

30 model accuracy 

Carry case dimensions 55 x 45 x 25 em (21.6 x 17.7 x 9.8 in) 

70 can vary greatly depending on external factors such as cruise altitude, presence of obstacles and 

radio-frequency interference. 

198 
) 

On-board GNSS/RTK receiver 

3 On-board GNSS/RTK receiver 

Number of channels 226 

Signal tracked GPS: L 1, L2 

GLONASS: L 1, L2 

On-board RTK correction 20 Hz 

Upstream correction 1 Hz 

RTK data transmission protocols RTCM-3.x, RTCM-2.x 

Acquisition time Hot start: <1 0 s 

Warm start: <35 s 

Cold start: <60 s 

Reacquisition: <1 s 

199 
\ 

Glossary 

AMSL Above Mean Sea Level 

Your eBee RTK's altitude can be shown and set in eMotion using ATO or 

AMSL. Your drone uses the EGM96 mean sea level standard for navigation. 

ATO Above the Take-off Altitude 

Your eBee RTK's altitude can be shown and set in eMotion using ATO or 

AMSL. Altitudes in ATO are relative to the place your eBee RTK started its 

motor just before take-off. 

DSM Digital Surface Model 

A 3D digital representation of a surface. 

FTDI Future Technology Devices International 

A Scottish semiconductor device company specialising in Universal Serial 

Bus (USB) technology. FTDI cables allow serial connections through a USB 

cable. eMotion uses FTDI technology to connect to the ground modem. 

You can often connect a computer to a GNSS base station using FTDI. 

GCP Ground Control Point 

A location or object on the ground that has precisely know coordinates. 

GCPs are used to improve the precision of DSMs created from photog rammetric analysis of a series of images. 

geo-reference A data point associated with a specific location on the earth's surface. 

GNSS Global Navigation Satellite System 

A network of satellites that transmit signals that GNSS receivers can use to 

calculate their position on the Earth. GPS (Global Positioning System) and 

GLONASS are examples of GNSS systems. 

GSD Ground Sampling Distance 

The distance measured on the ground between pixel centres in an image 
or DSM. The smaller the GSD, the higher the spatial resolution ofthe image. 

For example, a GSD of 5 em means that one pixel in the image represents 

5 em on the ground. 

mosaic A single map or terrain model created from several map sections that 

have been placed side-by-side and merged together. 

MSL Mean Sea Level 

the average level ofthe surface oft he Earth's oceans; a close approximation 

ofthe surface in gravitational equilibrium. 

Ntrip Network Transport of RTCM data over IP 

A protocol used to transport RTK correction data over the Internet. RTK 

receivers feed RTK corrections to Ntrip servers or casters. These then encapsulate the data inside TCP packets and stream it across the Internet. 

orthomosaic A single, corrected image constructed either from several images 

taken from different angles, or from several orthophotos. Distortions due 

to different camera positions, ground curvature and relief are corrected for 

so that the image displays accurately in the given map projection. 

photogrammetry A technique in which measurements taken from photographs 

are used to reconstruct a 3D surface or a series of points in space. 

point cloud A set of data points within a coordinate system. 

rayCioud A feature unique to Postflight Terra 3D that combines the 3D point cloud 

with the original images. Multi ray matching with the rayCioud extends the 

stereo view triangulation and increases the accuracy of 3D point estimates 

while providing a full understanding of 3D results. 

RINEX Receiver Independent Exchange Format 

A data format used for storing and exchanging satellite navigation system 

data. 
RPAS Remotely Piloted Aircraft System 

A term used for drones or UAVs, the software and technology they use to 

navigate. 

RTCM Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services 

An international organisation that standardises transmission protocols that 

allow for RTK positioning, for example, RTCM 2.x and RTCM 3.x. They also 

publish the Ntrip standard. 

RTK Real Time Kinematics 

A technique used to enhance the accuracy of coordinates calculated from 

GNSS signals. 

triangle model An approximate representation of a surface, constructed from 

connected triangles. 

UAS Unmanned Aircraft System 

A term used for drones or RPASs, the software and technology they use to 

navigate. 

UAV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle 

Another term for drone. 

VRS Virtual Reference Station 

A reference station that does not exist on the ground, but instead is created 

by combining correction data (delivered over Ntrip) from several real reference stations. VRS RTK corrections relative to this virtual reference station 

can then be made as if it were a real reference station.